Taking Care of the Other One
by ssklarolinewrites
Summary: A series of not-to-be-taken-seriously drabbles about what could happen if Caroline went to New Orleans. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Taking Care of the Other One 1

If you like characters on TO other than the Mikaelsons, you probably won't like this series.

No smut in this one *sad trombone*, but I'm thinking about a series that do have something in common. Some character deaths will be included in them and maybe some smut too.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own these characters.

Caroline couldn't believe she was here in New Orleans after all. 6 months. Less than a year and she was already on his home turf. She didn't intentionally mean to come here, but supernatural circumstances forced her hand and she was going to make the best of it.

She was soaking up all the sights and sounds of New Orleans after landing and dropping off her bags at the hotel. Beignets and cafe au lait. Zydeco music and Hurricanes, the rum drink, everywhere. New Orleans in June was hot, even for a vampire, and she had taken the time to shower quickly before heading out again, amazed at her self control when finally out of Virginia. She chose to stay in one of the city's fine hotels outside of the French Quarter. She was trying to be as inconspicuous as possible…for now.

After Bonnie and Damon's death, the Mystic Falls gang gathered together outside the city limits to mourn their passing. Caroline stuck with her classes as best she could, but was distracted all the while. Elena was a wreck and relying on Jeremy and Alaric to get her through this.

Stefan was caught up in grief after his brother's death. Losing someone after 160 years was too difficult to bear. Caroline wanted to be there for her best friend. Finals were over and she could see for herself how desperate the situation had become. He was on the verge of turning off his humanity and going all ripper again when she decided to ask for Klaus' intervention. It wasn't her first or best idea, but what she was working with.

She wasn't naive heading to New Orleans. She knew better than to reveal her presence before she got the lay of the land. If the Mystic Falls group of teenagers wanted to get rid of The Originals, there was no telling what the supernatural population of New Orleans would do.

Strolling down Bourbon Street in her sleek coral capris, sky blue sleeveless shell, and sandals, hair thrown up in a quick topknot, she was the picture of Southern elegance. Her eyes were drawn to all of the bars, little shops, and wow, all of the strip clubs open at this time of day.

She decided to stop by the small watering holes to scope out the scene. She found a dark booth at the back of the first place, Rousseau's, where she wouldn't attract too much attention after getting a daiquiri at the bar. Hey, it was early, fruity drinks were appropriate.

The bartender, Camille, according to her name tag, was nice enough, but she was wearing an outfit Caroline wouldn't be caught dead in, no pun intended. She did have nice enough hair though, Caroline thought, not totally dismissing how similar their hair styles and color were of course.

She sat back and listened in for a while, not hearing anything particularly useful, but she was optimistic. Klaus wasn't the shy, retiring type. He'd be mentioned sooner or later, even if it was just because of his good looks.

She was sipping her melting drink when she heard Klaus' name for the first time. Camille was leaning over the bar and telling one of the customers, who seemed to be more of a friend, about this guy, Klaus, who had been flirting with her.

Caroline's ears perked up at this and she couldn't help the surge of anger she felt.

"So he was showing me his art collection, most of which were pictures of this average looking blonde woman, mixed with some really dark modern pieces. I preferred the modern works obviously," Camille said, leaning over while wiping down the bar. "It really is a window into his soul. I feel like I know him."

Her friend asked if they'd been on a date yet. "Not technically, but we have spent a lot of time together. I think he really likes me. I mean when he speaks, he gets so close and it feels like there is no one else in the room," she continued. "Basically I'm letting him set the pace, while I figure out if he's as evil as his reputation makes him out to be. I don't think it's true what they say about him. He obviously hasn't ever been in love before. I think I can be the one to save him," she wistfully finished.

Caroline couldn't help but choke throughout Camille's conversation. She couldn't understand how Camille was still alive as ignorant as she was.

It was time for Caroline to go. She had heard enough to know Klaus was around, people knew about his maniac tendencies, and this bartender was plotting the most boring romance of all time. This was about Stefan she reminded herself on the way out.

After securing an invitation to a private vampire event that night with a little flirtation and picking up a cute new outfit, she was prepared to see Klaus for the first time since their woods encounter.

Rousseau's looked a lot different at night. It was less dingy and there were even more places to hide in the dark. She wasn't planning on hiding though. She smoothed her hands down her thighs, loving the feel of her new black eyelet skirt and corset-style top. It was a mix of feminine fabric in a sexy cut. Her boobs were front and center. Her hair was down in big curls, taking advantage of the humidity. Red lips and lots of mascara completed her look along with her red Jimmy Choos of course.

She took a single step inside after her name was cleared from the event list when she saw him. Klaus Mikaelson. He was looking as gorgeous as ever. He was wearing his usual outfit of black jeans, black Henley, and black jacket. His hair was growing out again, showing off his curls, which she approved of. Necklaces in place of course and dimples on display as he leaned in to hear what Camille, still behind the bar, had to say. It was that loud.

Caroline didn't say a word, ignoring how Camille's face was glowing in the face of his attention. This mission was about Stefan and not Klaus' terrible-after-her romantic choices. She did smirk though as she considered that she and Klaus had ended up with color coordinated outfits. Maybe this was a sign things would work out.

Taking ten steps to get within striking distance, Caroline grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. She knew this would be the best way to get his attention for the rest of the night and she felt empowered enough to do it. Miss Mystic Falls' get things done. Okay, not April Young. She was Caroline Forbes though and while Klaus could be unpredictable, she was pretty sure this would be appreciated. Anyone else's neck would be snapped for their impertinence.

Catching only her scent before being kissed by the sweetest pair of lips, Klaus leaned in, pulled her into his arms, and took control. Caroline, here! Kissing him! He couldn't believe his luck. Scratch that, luck probably had nothing to do with this. She probably needed his help. That didn't mean he wouldn't use the situation to his advantage. He slid his arms around her back getting as close to her as possible.

This might help his Camille problem too. Yes, they spent time together, solely because he wanted to see something, anything, like the girl he loved. She'd been a little clingy recently though. The exact opposite of his Caroline.

After hearing Camille's disgruntled coughs to get their attention, the pair broke apart. Caroline reached up to clear her lipstick from his face.

"Hello Klaus."

"Hello sweetheart. What are you doing here? Are you okay?" He gave her a genuine smile, thrilled with her presence, even though he suspected there were strings attached. He'd play along as he always did.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked, pushing some hair behind her ear.

"Anything for you love. Right this way," he replied leading her to a booth near where she had been earlier in the day. "Oh right, Cami, I'm going to need you to bring us a bottle of your best champagne. It's our thing." He knew this would cause an eye roll from his favorite blonde, sorry Rebekah, and it did.

As they made their way to the booth, Klaus noticed all the eyes tracking her movements. On one hand, he wanted to show off his gorgeous companion who just devastated him with her kiss. On the other hand, he wanted to rip all their heads off as they took in their future queen with less respect than was her due. He settled for a few glares at the most egregious oglers.

"How are you?" she asked.

"Caroline, love, it's about time you made your way to my city, but let's skip to the part where you tell me why it is you're here so I can convince you to never leave."

She rolled her eyes at his arrogance, but deep down she loved how he talked about their future, even if she wasn't ready for it.

"Okay straight to the point. I need your help."

"You're kidding," he deadpanned.

She expected that one and didn't even bother with the eye roll.

"I assume you're aware of the Other Side being destroyed along with Bonnie and Damon?" He nodded and she continued. "It wasn't fair what happened to Bonnie. None of things that happened ever since you came to Mystic Falls were fair to Bonnie, but I'd like to think she found peace. Damon however? I wouldn't think twice about his demise except how hurt Stefan and Elena are. Stefan's the reason why I'm here." She paused for a sip of their champagne which a waiter dropped off. "He's in real trouble Klaus. The break up with Elena, being locked in a safe for months, and being targeted by The Travelers all pushed him to the edge. Damon's death might be enough to tip him over." Klaus knew what it was like to lose a sibling, thinking of Kol, but wasn't sure what this had to do with him. He was waiting for her to make her proposal.

"Could you come back to Mystic Falls, well actually my dad's cabin, and talk to him? It shouldn't take more than a day or two. I think having you to spar with might bring some of his old spark back. Also, if worse comes to worse and I'm not ready to go there yet, I may ask you to use compulsion so he won't turn his emotions off." Caroline utterly hated the idea, but she didn't think she'd ever get the old Stefan back if he went on another ripper binge without Damon or Lexi to help. She also figured if Klaus had him turn off his emotions once, he could do the reverse this time.

"Caroline, I'm a little busy here at the moment, but if you think it would really help, I'll see Stefan. He and I were good friends in the twenties. Having Rippah back would be great fun." His eyes gleamed and he sat back, stretching out as much as possible, arms resting along the top of the booth.

She put both hands on the table and leaned in, "Klaus, no! Not ripper Stefan."

He smirked, loving the reactions he could get from her. He also enjoyed the view her cleavage provided. Of course he knew what she wanted, but what was in it for him. "What's in it for me?"

"Seriously Klaus? Haven't we gone over this?" She couldn't believe his nerve sometimes. Actually she could, but she wasn't going to be dissuaded so easily. "Nothing. Nothing other than coming through for a friend, Stefan, and another friend, me. That used to mean something to you." She looked up through her lashes, "Oh, or are you busy with Camille?"

"Who?"

"Camille, the bartender, over there. She's making eyes at you and telling her friends about your affection for her."

Klaus didn't know what to think. He had two problems to solve. Problem number one: Was Caroline jealous? Problem number two: He obviously had gone too far with Cami and had to rectify that immediately.

"Cami is just a friend sweetheart. She likes my paintings. She reminds me of someone," he trailed off.

Now it was her turn to be offended. "No. Nope. Her? No. Really? No. No." Shaking her head, she knew she wasn't making sense, but his allusion to there being any resemblance between herself and Camille was only hair-deep as far as she was concerned. She also wasn't sure why she was getting involved in what his life in New Orleans looked like. She wasn't prepared to look too deeply into her feelings.

"I may have to smooth things over with her after that kiss, Caroline."

She wanted to gag.

"You know who has my affections."

She blushed, but this conversation was getting too far off track. "I'm going home tomorrow and I came here to speak with you. I've done that and I think it's time for me to say goodnight."

She started to ease out of the booth when he came around to her side, stopping her, and sliding in.

He leaned close, looking deeply into her eyes and she couldn't turn away.

"Caroline, of course I'll help you. I'm not sure this will work, but I've learned it's important to come through for friends. Isn't that the second rule of friendship?"

His reminder of their conversation while digging out the nonexistent stake from his back made her lips quirk up for a brief moment.

"Yes, Klaus, exactly. I still need to go, but thank you. I appreciate this and I'm sure Stefan will appreciate this too."

He slid out of the seat and reached his hand out to her. She took hold and stood. He didn't move back very far, so she was mostly pressed against him. Once they stood there for a few moments, both feeling the sparks shuttling between them, he stepped back and tucked her arm around his to walk her to her hotel.

Any time spent with Caroline was a good time for him. She still wasn't ready to make a commitment to him. He knew how important it was that she finish school and live as realistic a human life as possible at least for a little longer. He could be patient.

As they had almost exited the bar and walked out into the hot Louisiana night, Caroline extricated her arm and mumbled a quick, "I forgot something, I'll be right back." Moving quickly inside and back up to where Cami was standing, she looked deep into Cami's eyes, not bothering to use compulsion, but giving her the look of someone who was not to be messed with, "Camille, stay away from Klaus. He is as evil as they say he is. He's a too arrogant psychotic thousand year old man-child. You're terrible at reading people and lack self-awareness. You know what else?" she continued into Camille's shocked eyes, "He's mine until I decide I no longer want him, right Klaus?" She looked over at him. He once again was wearing that dumbstruck expression. He caught on quickly though, "Yes, sweetheart. That's right. Your last love."

Well that answered his two questions. Yes, Caroline was possessive of him and yes, the Camille situation was taken care of. Things were looking up.

She smirked, gave a piercing glance back at Cami to show just how serious she was, and walked to the Original Hybrid, entwining their arms once again.

"You're welcome."

"Thank you sweetheart."

She didn't explain herself to him and she didn't have to. She was Caroline Forbes, future and only Queen of New Orleans.


	2. Chapter 2

Taking Care of the Other One II

Just go with it.

This one is connected to the last one, so read that one first.

**DIsclaimer:** I do not own these characters.

It had been two months since Caroline had last seen Klaus. He'd come with her to her dad's cabin to help with the Stefan situation and it worked. Stefan was just antagonized enough by Klaus that he acted more alive than he had in months. He wasn't a hundred percent himself, but he found a new goal that wasn't leading him to turn into a ripper again. He devoted himself to finding a way to bring Damon back.

During the visit, there was flirtation between Caroline and Klaus of course. They had a history and maybe a future. She didn't want things to go too far when her focus was on Stefan. She also wasn't sure what tangling herself in Klaus' life would mean if she's in school and he lived several states away, never mind the implications of getting involved with a powerful and sometimes evil man. He wasn't some nice college boy she could bring home to mom.

She wasn't ready to move or leave school, so was it fair to lead him on? In any event, she felt secure in the knowledge he loved her and she knew her feelings were growing. As like before their woods tryst, there was sexual tension and verbal sparring. It was comforting to be back in that role, but now she knew what it was like to relieve the tension! There was a sweet goodbye kiss on the cheek when they parted.

In the end after some cajoling, she agreed to pay another visit to New Orleans…as a friend…at some point. School was starting in two weeks so she thought this was a good time to follow through. She was excited at the prospect of exploring the city and it didn't hurt that the handsome Original Hybrid wanted to be her guide.

For the second time, Caroline showed up in New Orleans unannounced. She chose the same hotel as before, not willing to concede a private place to stay versus staying with him. She'd done some reading on the plane and had a plan in her head of what she wanted to see. Deciding to get acclimated before seeing Klaus and being swept up in him, she chose to stroll down the waterfront towards the French Market to do a little shopping.

Wiping the remnants of powdered sugar off her pink shorts from a necessary-according-to-her-guidebook stop at the Cafe du Monde for some beignets and coffee, she decided to stop in at Rousseau's. She may run into Klaus there before she was ready, but she thought she'd visit and at least say hello to Cami, making sure she wasn't causing trouble.

Escaping the blazing sun she walked into the bar and yes, Cami was at work again. Stepping up she greeted the other woman, "Cami. I see you're still alive so I take it you took my advice and stayed out of vampire business." She really meant staying out of Klaus' business and Cami understood.

"What was your name again, friend-of-Klaus?" Cami asked with fake politeness.

"I'm Caroline Forbes."

"Well yes Caroline Forbes, I'm still here as you can see. I noticed you haven't been around." Cami finished with a secret smile.

While Cami may have stopped hanging around with Klaus, there was someone new hanging around the Original Hybrid. A witch named Genevieve. While Cami was not ready to take on Caroline, she did want to see what Caroline would do with the powerful woman.

"Klaus doesn't need to me to look after him," Caroline replied. "I'm sure you don't need me here to watch over you, do you?"

Caroline could fake-smile with the best of them. Deciding she had made her point, she turned to leave.

"Will you be coming back with Klaus tonight? You really should." Cami called.

"I'll see you later Cami."

Caroline walked away, suspicious of what was going on around here. There had been some mildly flirtatious texts with Klaus over the summer. He followed her photos on Instagram. He wasn't a fan of the bikini shots she shared with the world. As if that would stop her. He asked about her daily activities and how Stefan was doing. She didn't know as much about what was going on in his life, which was clearly intentional on his part. She didn't want to know the details of his world domination plan, but she would like to know generally what was going on. She would find out soon enough she decided.

Since Klaus didn't know she was here and Cami made an allusion to something going on tonight, Caroline again decided to just show up and see what happened. She could take care of herself.

This time she walked into Rousseau's wearing a floral print summer dress with a halter neckline, flattering her figure and accounting for the heat. Espadrilles and bangle bracelets were her only accessories other than some discreet diamond studs, a high school graduation gift from her mom, and of course her daylight ring. A tiny purse held her room key, cash, and lip gloss. Her long blonde hair was pulled into a messy ponytail finishing her summer in New Orleans look.

Feeling fantastic and confident since things went well the last time she was in town, Caroline stepped into the cooler air and blaring party music. The place was packed. She sensed vampires and humans enjoying themselves.

She didn't see Klaus right away this time, but with Cami's hint ringing in her ears she took a tour of the place. Appreciative eyes took her in as she passed. She saw Cami, the ever-working bartender, busy at her usual spot. Caroline caught her eye and Cami nodded her head towards the other end of the bar. Following the lead, Caroline saw him.

She didn't expect to see him with another woman though. A tall pretty redhead was leaning in towards him, reaching her hand out to touch his forearm, engrossed in conversation. Klaus was looking at her, occasionally bringing a drink to his lips. At one point she leaned up to speak in his ear, being sure to cup his head to keep him in place. Like he wouldn't be able to hear her perfectly. He was a vampire! He didn't seem to mind the personal contact though.

What was it with this place? This was the second time this happened. She thought he'd been serious when he promised to be her last love and he even helped when she asked recently.

She felt hurt that her gut let her down and the chance she took blew up in her face.

Swallowing her disappointment and seething at Cami's smugness, she decided to do what Caroline Forbes does best, put on a brave face and deal with it.

Yes, she came here for him, but if he moved on, so would she. There was a ton of guys in this place and if she wanted to flirt, she would.

Crossing to a section of the large bar away from Cami and Klaus, she ordered a drink. She would need it to get through tonight with her head held high. She was in a new city, on vacation, and looking good. She could salvage this. She wouldn't move on to another place too quickly and allow Cami to watch her run away.

A Beyonce song came over the speakers and she moved to the small dance area. She would let her inner Sasha Fierce take over.

There weren't a lot of participants on the dance floor, but the good song and Caroline's presence started to gather a crowd. She could move. She was a former cheerleader after all.

More and more people started to surround the beautiful vampire, smiling along with her when she started to sing along with some of the songs, others admiring her toned body and enthusiastic dancing.

Klaus noticed the disturbance near the dance floor. Usually there were only a few drunks making fools of themselves out there. Stupid humans, he thought. He wasn't a fan of the overly loud music, but since he wasn't the center of everyone's attention as he preferred, he wanted to take a look.

"Excuse me, Genevieve," he said putting down his drink. He stepped away from her.

She was an important ally in the witch community and it was clear she was attracted to him. Klaus wasn't sure how far things would go between them, but he wasn't above using her affection to his advantage. He was familiar with that move himself, previously perfected by one Caroline Forbes. He was trying to find a balance between getting her help and getting into a relationship with her. He needed the former, but not the latter. Klaus walked towards the crowd, not caring Genevieve had followed.

Some hands were raised high over the crowd, twisting and turning with the beat, silver bracelets flashing. The arms belonged to whoever had gathered the most attention tonight. He couldn't get a good look.

Deciding to bodily lift some brawny frat bros out of the way, he couldn't believe his eyes. Caroline Forbes, former Miss Mystic Falls, had captivated a crowd in New Orleans. Well, he could believe that part. The men were enthralled and the woman were joining with her. She had a big smile on her face and she never looked more gorgeous.

Why didn't she call? He finally wore her down to get her agreement on a visit, but he wasn't ready. He had grand ideas of showing her everything. He had nothing prepared.

Enough was enough and if anyone was going to dance with her it would be him. It was another one of their "things." He almost wished someone was getting too handsy so he could rip out a heart, not as if she'd allow such a thing- the handsy part or the heart-ripping.

Klaus made his way behind Caroline. She was oblivious to him, caught up in the euphoria of the music, great crowd, and being able to let go of everything. So far, she was loving New Orleans.

He slipped some fingers along her hips, pulling her back very slightly to his chest, and brought his head down towards her neck. He didn't say anything, but enjoyed seeing her in this mood and now with him.

There were only two people Caroline knew in this place and she didn't think it was Cami nuzzling her neck.

Once she had a second to process what was happening, she recognized him. Wrapping an arm up and around his neck she brought them closer, fingers lightly combing through his curls, forgetting her hurt for a moment.

"Hello sweetheart."

"Hello Klaus."

They danced for a few minutes together, moving towards the edge of the floor. This was different compared to their previous encounters. His idea of dancing was slightly swaying his hips, but considering he was a thousand years old, she thought it was good enough.

"If you wanted to surprise me, love by showing up, you could have greeted me the way you did last time. I wouldn't have minded," he mumbled into her neck.

She ground her ass against him for just a second then spun, lifting both arms up and around his neck. How is he so handsome she wondered, appreciating his dimples. She pulled him tight and he followed her lead, squeezing.

"Wait a minute. I'm mad at you." She dropped her arms, released his hold, and walked away.

What happened? She obviously wasn't upset before she arrived in the city or she wouldn't have come at all.

"Caroline," he called out.

He couldn't let her leave like that and followed, but Genevieve blocked his path.

"Nik, who was that?" Genevieve asked.

Caroline heard it as she was going and her brain was screaming at her to keep going, walk away. Don't stop. Don't turn and listen. No. No. Nooooo.

Despite everything, every impulse, she just couldn't resist. If she was being made a fool of, she wanted to know so she could leave and never come back. Turning around and crossing her arms across her chest, she waited. The only thing missing was the toe-tapping.

Klaus was thankful Caroline had stopped, but this was a potentially awkward situation.

"Genevieve, this is Caroline."

He grabbed hold of Caroline's hand, forcing her to uncross her arms, pulling her closer. He put his arm around her, hand resting on her hip.

Caroline wasn't sure what was going on, but she would give him a minute to explain. After all, he was snuggled up close to her on the dance floor so there must be more to the Genevieve situation than met the eye and he was holding her close now.

"Caroline, this is Genevieve. She's a very powerful witch." As he said this, his hand tightened on her hip in warning. Caroline wasn't a fool and picked up on the message that she should be careful.

"Nice to meet you Genevieve. I like your nail polish," Caroline warmly said. She didn't know if Genevieve was picking up on signals Klaus may have been sending out or possibly not, so she wasn't going to rush to judgement on the witch. Klaus was a different story. Anyway, she decided that giving the other woman the impression that she was harmless was a place to start. It worked for her in the past.

"Uh, thanks."

"Rebekah introduced Genevieve and I right before I left New Orleans."

"Oh well then, you look fantastic," she smiled as she said it and continued, her smile turning sad, "I had a best friend, a witch, who died recently. She was a good person. I miss her." She was lost in the memories for a moment.

"Are you friends with Nik?" Genevieve asked.

"Does he have any friends?" Caroline retorted with a smile.

Touching his hand to his chest, "I'm hurt."

"We're working on our friendship right now actually. He's still learning."

She worked on charming Genevieve and in the end the two women ended up excluding Klaus and finding a corner to chat about New Orleans, Bonnie, Rebekah, and Klaus of course.

Klaus was proud as he watched her work her "magic" on Genevieve. He knew she would be his most brilliant and important ally if she ever agreed to be with him. She was so smart and her good nature came through, easing the fears of those who didn't see any goodness in him. She had tact, which he lacked. She was clever, which came in handy when she underestimated all the time as well. As he'd said before, they were similar, but together they would be perfect.

Klaus walked over to them wanting to spend time with Caroline since he hadn't quite smoothed things over.

She noticed him from the corner of her eye. She had made a tentative friend in Genevieve. The point they agreed on the most was how insane the Mikaelsons were.

While it couldn't have been easy for Genevieve to witness his public display of affection with her, Caroline was impressed with how gracious she was. Genevieve hinted there may have been some history between them that she wouldn't mind rekindling, but things hadn't been progressing. Explaining that her own history with Klaus was complicated, she did admit they had a relationship currently. Genevieve didn't need to know the details of what the relationship looked like or the fact that neither Caroline nor Klaus actually talked about what was going on. She figured it was better to put the witch out of her misery than be rejected by a man who was thinking of another or using her. In this case, at least Genevieve could use him back now without any qualms. It didn't hurt to have a relatively indestructible hybrid around in case of emergencies. For Caroline, having a witch she'd be able to call on and maybe even a new friend in New Orleans put a positive spin on things. She said goodnight to Genevieve and walked over to him.

"Can I walk you to your hotel?"

She nodded and he cleared a path through the drunken revelers towards the entrance.

Suddenly she pulled him to a stop.

"Oh hey Cami," Caroline shouted over the music with a big smile, "Klaus and I are leaving. He can't get enough of me. It's like he never lets me leave the bed."

Klaus saw the twinkle in her eye, loving her fiery nature. He leaned into her neck again whispering, "It's true Caroline, but it's not nice to tease…and it wasn't a bed." He gave her one of those intense stares where she lost track of where she was. She shivered and he smirked.

Once outside they dodged some of the locals who had a little too much fun and proceeded out of the busy French Quarter, stopping at a park bench. There were dim lights giving the trees with Spanish moss a romantic glow.

"I wish you would have told me you were coming Caroline."

She scoffed. She's sure he would like the advance notice to keep clear of the women who kept surrounding him. He was perceptive though and knew Genevieve was the source of her anger.

"You have to know Genevieve's friendship is about strategy."

"She certainly looked friendly when I saw you in the corner with her."

He reached for her hand again.

"I have asked you to be honest with me and I will be honest with you. If I see an opportunity to take back my city, I'm going to take it. That includes being friendly with witches who hold tremendous power. It doesn't make what I feel for you any less true. You've stolen my heart and I'm waiting for you to give me yours in return." He kissed the hand held in his own.

She rested her head on his shoulder. She knew this wouldn't be an easy man to love or be with. She wasn't thrilled with his tactics, but Genevieve could take care of herself. They would need to have a discussion about what kind of relationship they were in. It was too hard in this inbetween place of not being together, but not wanting to be with anyone else.

"Will you show me around tomorrow? I have a list of places I'd like to see."

It's all he wanted to do. He squeezed her hand in answer.

Finally moving on to her hotel when they saw the first light of dawn slipping through the trees, Klaus left Caroline at her door. He wasn't thrilled she wasn't staying with him, but he was happy she was staying at all.

He couldn't resist leaning down and giving her a sweet goodnight kiss. Her lips were warm and soft.

Deciding to change things up, Caroline grabbed hold of his face tangling her fingers in his necklaces and put her passion into the kiss. It went from sweet to sexy in a matter of seconds. He groaned his approval into her mouth as their tongues dueled. Running his hands up and down her back, he took everything she was giving him.

She broke away, breathing heavily. "I wasn't able to say hello the same way as my last visit, but at least I could say goodnight." She smirked and as she was closing her door, leaving the dumbfounded hybrid in the hall, she reminded him, "I'll see you tomorrow Klaus."

"Goodnight sweetheart."

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A/N: I read Genevieve was killed in the finale. (I stopped watching TO mid-way through.) I didn't see any episodes with her so I obviously took some license in how she was portrayed. I wanted to include her after seeing some stills though.

Still no smut. Terrible I know. We're getting closer and there is at least one more, maybe two characters that still need to get involved.

Also if you ever visit New Orleans, stopping at the Cafe du Monde for beignets and cafe au lait is a must. It's very touristy, but there is a reason it's so popular.

Tell me what you think.


	3. Chapter 3

Taking Care of the Other One III

**Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters.

This was it. The night. They had spent the entire weekend together after the whole Genevieve situation and had kept in almost constant contact since she returned to school. He was proud of her for wanting to educate herself, even though he didn't see the rush or reason for her to be so far away. There were excellent colleges in New Orleans after all. Texts went flying back and forth. The tone became increasingly intimate. More details about life were shared and the level of flirting picked up. She was caught sneaking glances at her phone in the middle of lectures. She was even starting to ease Elena, Matt, and her mom into the idea that this Klaus thing was going to happen, for real this time. Stefan was supportive, but wanted her to be careful.

Rebekah had done some digging and found out the blonde from Mystic Falls was still in her brother's life. She wanted more attention paid to her, but if Caroline kept Klaus in a good mood and on an even keel, she wouldn't put up too much of a fuss. She didn't mind hoping a connection between Caroline and Klaus would further any interest she had in either Matt or Stefan. Elijah was oblivious to what was going on, busy cleaning up his little brother's messes as he had for the past thousand years.

Stefan's plans for returning Damon to the living dead continued. Caroline suggested he come to New Orleans with her on her next visit to meet with Genevieve. The other complication in Stefan's life was Enzo. They had formed a tentative bond after Damon's death since Damon did come through for Enzo after all. Both felt guilty about what happened. It seemed as though Enzo bothered to hang around because he didn't know anyone else due to his long years in captivity.

Enzo was flirtatious with Caroline, but she had her eye on a different guy with an accent. She was able to usually brush him off with a joke. He was unknowingly competing with The Original, literally, where he wouldn't win. She hadn't told Klaus about him, not wanting to provoke Klaus' possessive tendencies. She could take care of herself and it was a non-issue.

She had an October break and agreed to return to New Orleans. At this point she was ready to be exclusive with Klaus and her vampire instincts were pushing her to sleep with him again. Heightened emotions and all that. He'd professed his love in not so many words and she was working her way there. Their day in the woods was spectacular so why was she denying what she wanted? She'd done that for months already and she was ready to let go. They still had issues to address, but their attraction to one another wasn't one of them.

For the third time staying at the same hotel, she was racking up some good points on these trips, she showered and changed for her night out. She made sure to throw her clothes into her suitcase since she planned on bringing Klaus back, not wanting to look like a slob. She preferred the hotel to his home, not ready to face Rebekah and Elijah the morning after.

Putting the finishing touches on her makeup, she was ready for her date with Klaus. She was going to meet him for a romantic dinner. He really was old fashioned sometimes. She found a gorgeous blue Calvin Klein dress on sale. It was her color after all. Some simple black pumps would put her eye-level with him. Her hair was down in soft waves. Underneath she had on a new La Perla lacy bra and thong set in lemon yellow.

He picked her up right on time with a bouquet of white peonies. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and a searing look she felt down to her toes. "Hello Caroline. You look beautiful. I thought you might like these." They were gorgeous and so sweet. She gave them a sniff and called down for a vase to put them in. They would make her hotel room a little less generic.

While they waited for the vase, she was able to sneak some subtle looks at him. She'd seen him dress up for her before, his mother's ball and their "date" to the Miss Mystic Pageant came to mind. He wore a gray suit with a white shirt. No tie. He smelled divine. She wondered if he had some necklaces tucked under his shirt or not. Something to investigate later she thought with a secret smile.

"I made reservations for 9. I was thinking we could take a bit of a walk and maybe grab a drink."

She thought that was a great idea, alcohol might settle her nerves, and they headed out after taking care of the flowers. Starting at the darkened hotel bar which was full of couples with similar plans to theirs, they began with champagne. "Their" drink of course. He did that thing he always did which was look at her so everything else blurred. His completely focused attention had made her uncomfortable in the past, feeling as though he could see right through her, but over time she'd come to appreciate his singular devotion and attention. There was some light conversation. She told him how Stefan was off talking to some witch in Salem and she'd been trying convince him into coming with her here. He told her about some of Rebekah's antics and his dealings with some werewolves.

Dinner went the same way. She couldn't help but become enthralled watching his lips close over his fork. He loved watching the changing blue in her eyes in the candlelight. He tried his best to memorize her expressions for a painting. The food was fantastic, but she wouldn't have been able to explain what she had if anyone asked. He really could be incredibly charming and old world when he put in the effort. She loved seeing this side of him which he shared only with her.

She was ready to get back to her room, but was still nervous. Yes, they'd had sex, but this was different. This was about the future, not about scratching an itch, although she had an itch he could scratch. This would be sex, maybe even making love, with admitted emotions involved.

"Are we close to Rousseau's? I can't remember," Caroline asked.

"A few blocks away. Why?" He was puzzled. She'd been giving out signals and he was ready to act on them. The French Quarter on a weekend was a bit like Las Vegas. It was full of energy, neon lights, and alcohol. Basically, excess. It wasn't particularly romantic.

"I was thinking maybe we could stop by. I don't feel like I'm in New Orleans until I walk in and give Cami a hard time. You know, the usual."

"Whatever you want love."

They made the walk, hand in hand, and found a clear area at the bar. Klaus' killer stares actually made the area for him. A flash of yellow had the vampires in the vicinity taking a step back. An eye roll followed.

Of course Cami was working. Did she ever get a day off? Caroline didn't care, but liked having her favorite target around to deflect her nervous energy. Klaus was ordering another bottle of champagne when Caroline stepped off to the ladies room. This was her last chance to do a little touch up before they ended up back in her room.

She was making her way back to Klaus' side when she noticed a darkened blur whooshing at her, closing in on her quickly. A pair of lips were a millimeter away from her own when she put her hands on the vampire's chest and pushed him to arm's length.

Klaus jumped up and had the vampire by the throat and off the ground even before her dead heart could beat again. He moved to stand between them. Caroline looked over his shoulder to see who it was.

"Enzo!? What are you doing here? People don't just walk in here and kiss other people without warning. Learn some manners."

Cami and Klaus gave her looks. She saw the faces they were making and waved her hands in the air in a "I know, let it go, forget it" motion.

Not breaking a sweat, Klaus kept Enzo in the air. "Care to introduce me to my latest victim?" Caroline knew this was not going to end well for Enzo and she was going to have to think fast to save this idiot's life.

"Klaus, you can put him down. He's a friend of Damon's."

"That's not exactly a ringing endorsement. He is my least favorite Salvatore after all." Klaus squeezed a little tighter giving Enzo no chance to speak. "If you had said Stefan, I might not torture him before I kill him."

"Really, please put him down. You're making a scene," she was trying to deflect attention. Turning to their little audience, "Nothing to see here. Klaus is being Klaus. Go back to your gumbo and Hurricanes. Next round is on him. Buh-bye." She shooed them away.

Putting Enzo down, but keeping her behind him, he clasped his hands behind his back. "Care to explain what you're doing and why you're doing it to Caroline?"

"Goldilocks, who is this bloke?" Enzo didn't give an inch.

"That is the important question. I'm Klaus Mikaelson. Ever heard of me? King of New Orleans. Original Hybrid. Your future murderer," he revealed.

She scooted around so she could at least be beside Klaus. "Klaus, this is Enzo. Enzo, this is Klaus." She turned to Enzo, "What are you doing here?"

"Stefan told me you were here. I thought I might finally take a chance without your friends hanging over my shoulder. Damon told me you had a thing for guys with accents and dodgy morals. That's me." He gave her a smirk. "Listen mate," he continued, "I'd appreciate if you'd let Caroline and I have a private conversation."

"Seriously?"

"Listen yourself _mate_," Klaus bit out, "I think you missed the part where I'm going to kill you. Didn't Damon tell you? I'm as evil as it gets. Caroline, can you hand me anything made of wood please?"

Caroline groaned.

"Cami, I'll take a toothpick if you can find one or the little umbrella from a drink. Either will do. Your choice."

"Caroline, I came here for you. I haven't felt this way in 80 years."

"That's because you haven't seen a woman in 80 years," was her dry reply.

"Sweetheart, can I compel him? Removing his own heart would be such fun and I wouldn't get my hands dirty. No? How about I get him to lose the accent? That might be a mortal blow in itself." Klaus winced for dramatic effect. He didn't like the distraction from his date with Caroline, but he might as well set this peasant in his place.

"Vampires can't compel other vampires," Enzo chimed in.

"That's where you're wrong. As part of my birthright I have the ability to compel other vampires as I come from the first family of vampires. You could possibly even be my descendant. Now act like a good child. Daddy says bugger off."

"Klaus, no murdering today, ok? Enzo is a friend of Damon's and he's been hanging around with Stefan while they work on getting Damon back. He's harmless, right Enzo?"

"Gorgeous, I'll only bite if you ask."

Caroline wanted to hit her head on the bar.

"Enzo, you and I are just friends. That's it. I'm not interested in you. No more sneak attack visits. I mean it. The guy with the accent and dodgy morals Damon was talking about? That's this guy right here." She touched Klaus' forearm for emphasis. "I'm here with him, as in _with him_, with him. We were about to finish our drink and have hot hybrid vampire sex!" she blurted out in frustration.

Klaus and Enzo just looked at her. "What? Weren't we?"

After he got over the shock of her actually saying it out loud and to Enzo, Klaus looked at her with the biggest smile she'd ever seen on him. "Yes, I believe we were."

She wanted to salvage this date and inspiration struck.

"Cami, can you come here for a minute?" She took her arm and brought her out from behind the bar.

"Cami, this is Enzo. Enzo is a vampire who likes to smirk, has an accent, and seems to have some misplaced affection for me. In other words, you'll love him." She then turned to Enzo, "Enzo, this is Cami. We have similar hair. That's about it. Good luck and good night."

She grabbed Klaus' hand and raced them out of there. Next stop her bedroom. No more interruptions.

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Cliffhanger? I figured I might as well have the smut in the next chapter.

Part one was Cami. Part two was Genevieve. Part three was Enzo. At least one more part to go.

Let me know your thoughts.


	4. Chapter 4

Taking Care of the Other One IV

This one picks up right where the last one left off.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters.

Caroline towed him out of the bar until they got to some open space and made their way slowly back to the hotel. She reached her arm around his waist and his arm came up around her shoulders. Her head rested on his upper arm. They looked like one of those beautiful couples in a magazine.

"I shouldn't have asked to stop at Rousseau's. I learned my lesson though."

He looked down at her. "We've had a beautiful evening, love. I got to threaten bloodshed even." He paused to give her a look, "I enjoyed your confession." He gave her a rare, true smile.

She buried her face in his sleeve, embarrassed, and laughed.

He felt good when he made her laugh, proud. He didn't often get a chance to be playful and he wanted to show that he could be like this with her. He had retained some of his human qualities and wanted to show all sides of himself. She'd already seen enough of the danger he could pose.

They made it to her hotel room, putting the Do Not Disturb sign over the doorknob.

She was nervous because this was deliberate. Yes, she felt lust for him, but she wasn't in a haze of quick and fierce emotions like their time in the woods. This was the man who promised to be her last love. This wouldn't be another romp between trees.

She put down her bag and crossed the room to open the bathroom door. She turned on the light in there, pulling the door mostly closed, and turned off the other lights in the room. There was a soft glow now on the pale green walls. She pulled the curtains closed as well. She smiled when she saw the peonies and stopped again for an appreciative sniff. He watched her arrange the room from near the doorway. He would never admit it, but he was a little nervous too. He loved her and wanted to make this good.

She turned after finishing.

"Caroline. Come here."

Once she got close enough, he pulled her in for a hug. He nuzzled the side of her neck and around up to her ear. Her arms came up around his neck. She breathed him in and sighed, working to let go of her anxiety. "You're not allowed to ruin my clothes this time," she mumbled into his skin.

He turned her around and slowly, carefully lowered the zipper to her dress. She kicked off her shoes, sinking a few inches. He dropped the dress and it pooled on the floor. He gasped seeing her thong and she smiled although he couldn't see it. She turned around.

She stood before him in just her yellow bra and thong. His eyes warmed as he took her in from head to fire-engine-red-painted toes. She looked gorgeous and he wanted to worship her. He grabbed the dress from the floor and gently threw it on the spare chair, showing her he could be careful with her things.

She reached for him, feeling he should be as undressed as she was. She moved her arms to his upper chest along his shirt to loosen his suit jacket, fingers slipping beneath the jacket lining to ease it off his shoulders. It fell to the ground behind him.

He pulled her in for a kiss, not being able to wait a minute longer. Her hands tangled in his hair. His arms moved around her waist, getting as close as possible. The kiss was slow and deep, tongues moving against one another. Her tongue traced along his lower lip. His lips continued to seek hers out. She moved back to continue stripping him of his clothes.

She slowly started undoing the buttons of his white cotton button down. Her tongue was caught between her teeth as she concentrated intently. She pulled the material up from his pants and threw it behind him. Immediately running her hands along his smooth chest and down along his stomach, she leaned in for another kiss.

She let him bend down to take care of his socks and shoes. He then moved to his belt and removed it. Her hands were moving all over his smooth skin as he worked, sprinkling little kisses along his shoulders and neck, getting lightly scratched by his stubble.

Next came off his pants, he kicked free of them. She noticed how hard he was beneath the navy boxer briefs he wore. He reached down for the pile of clothes he accumulated and moved them to the chair. He was going to have to put them all back on at some point after all. Klaus Mikaelson was going to do the walk of shame. She couldn't wait to see that, although there would be nothing shameful about it.

He was so beautiful to her. Long and lean. Sinewy muscles bunched and stretched as he took care of his clothes and came back to her. His skin a warm gold in the dim light. He wasn't overly ripped or bulky, but she knew how much power his body contained, how fierce, dangerous, and well "Alpha Male", he could be.

Coming back around to her, their kisses resumed. She could feel his erection against her lower stomach. He reached behind her to release the clasp of her bra. She moved along with him for the straps to slip down her arms. He tossed it aside and pulled her in for more kisses. Her breasts were squeezed against his chest and feeling skin against skin was so good. She never wanted it to end. He felt so warm compared to her. How could a dead person feel so alive?

Leaning down, he was able to run his tongue over her hardened nipples quickly. Dropping to his knees, he reached for the waistband of her underwear. She laid her hands on his shoulders for balance. He pulled the thong slowly down her legs. After placing a kiss on her stomach on his way up, he stood.

"Caroline, you're so beautiful, stunning really," he said reverently. He always made her feel beautiful.

She took his hand in hers and moved them to the bed. She tore down the duvet to reveal the white cool, crisp sheets.

She got in and made room for him. He lowered his underwear to the ground and stepped in. She'd seen him naked before of course, but she was impressed once again.

Reaching her arms out to him, she was enclosed in his embrace. She ended up underneath him, legs wrapped around his hips. Their mouths were never apart for more than a second at a time, holding each other close.

Moving down her body, he concentrated on her breasts. He nipped and sucked, pulling deeply and she could feel it make her even more wet for him. He moved from one to the other, paying each equal attention. Her fingers were constantly moving in his hair, keeping up with it once she stopped and he grumbled. She smiled, figuring out more and more about him.

He moved down further, placing kisses on his way, memorizing her all over again. She was breathless with anticipation. He started with his fingers playing with her. Groaning when he felt how wet she was for him. He moved his fingers gently over her, enjoying the feel of her smooth swollen lips. He pushed one finger into her, loving the tight grip and remembering how she'd feel around him again. He pumped slow and steady.

He moved his lips to her clit and licked around, keeping his finger going. He kept things light, not pushing her into a climax, but gently moving her closer to one. She couldn't help but squirm and move her hips with him. Nipping, sucking, and licking over and over her clit and with his two fingers now fucking her a little faster, she could feel the slow build to orgasm pick up speed. "Klaus, I'm going to come. Please don't stop," As if he'd consider it! Moving her hips, keeping her pussy in contact with his mouth, she came intensely. He stayed with her through it and then moved back, licking his lips, slowing his fingers which were squeezed so tightly when she came.

When her breathing calmed, he removed his wet fingers. Once he was sure she was looking, he sucked them into his mouth.

"That's so hot," she practically whimpered.

Again pressing kisses up her body, he returned to her mouth. Her hands reached down to his slim hips, tight abs, and then his groin. He moved into her touch, muscles twitching everywhere she went. Her hands gripped him tightly. Refamiliarizing herself with his erection, she ran her fingers up and down, cupping his balls. She used his precum to smooth her motions. Caroline enjoyed the way she could bring him pleasure. If the way he was breathing and twisting to stay in her grip was any indication, she was doing a good job.

Wrapping her legs around him and moving him into position, she was ready. "Please, now," she asked. He propped himself up on his forearms, keeping his eyes on her face and pushed slowly. Both of their eyes closed at the sensation. She was wet and tight around him. He was thick and hard in her.

Setting a slow rhythm and continuing to kiss on occasion, they slowly made love. They would hold eye contact for long moments and then close their eyes at the feelings generated. His hips pumped steadily. She used her grip on her hips to lift up and meet up. Her hands roamed along his back, reaching down to give his ass a little squeeze.

"Caroline," he warned. She smiled and gave him a kiss. He was obviously trying to stay in control and she wasn't helping his concentration. Her hands continued to roam though, along his shoulders, neck, up his throat to his face.

Moving down to lay open mouth kisses along her neck, he started moving faster. Deep hard thrusts continued for long minutes. She moaned in approval. He moved faster until he could feel her start to tighten on him. "Caroline, I want you to come," Resting his weight on one arm, he reached between them to rub her swollen clit in a circle. Her nerves were on fire, so close. "Yes. Like that. Yesssss" He kept his eyes on hers, watching her fall. She came and her tightened pussy pulled his orgasm from him. He came with a low moan, not able to resist her.

He collapsed on top of her for a moment, waiting for his dead heart to slow. He gently kissed her forehead and moved over. He pulled her along his side. She didn't want to lose the physical connection to him yet either.

Once she was able to speak, "We didn't have hot hybrid vampire sex. Well, it was hot, but that was more than sex. It was different…more. I can't explain it. You know?" She didn't want to be the only one feeling this. It was beautiful and passionate. Special.

"It was more," he agreed. He had tried to show her in another way, a physical way, how much he cherished her. He wanted to create as many ties around her as he could and transcending fucking was part of it. There would be time for that too of course, but this was different. They were different.

She snuggled her head closer to him, feeling very relaxed, all the tension having let her body. She threw a leg over him and she used his shoulder and bicep for a pillow.

"I resisted you for so long. You gave me an out last time by promising not to come back."

"Now you're here. I won't give you an out this time, sweetheart." He tightened the arm around her.

She knew that was the case and why she didn't rush into this.

She propped herself up on an elbow, one arm still over his chest, so she could see his face. Might as well figure this out now.

"So, what happens next?"

He knew what she meant. "I want to be with you Caroline. I'm not asking you to move today, but I want to be your partner. I want you to be mine and I want to be yours."

"I want that too," she admitted and continued, "Okay, so we need a plan. Plans are good. I'm going to stay in school, but I'm going to come as often as I can manage. I expect you to do the same. I'll tell my mother. You're going to have to spend time with her so she sees what I see."

She paused.

"I need you to be steady Klaus. I don't want you to change, but I need you to be careful with me. You're dangerous. Your highs are really high and your lows are very low. I need to feel safe with you."

He took the hand lying on his chest and brought it to his lips. "You were out of reach when I was in Mystic Falls and then you were apart from me for months when I came here. I don't want that to happen again. I missed you. You're the most precious thing in my life and I'll treat you as such."

It was what she needed to hear. She knew this relationship would be something they would work on. She needed reassurance he could keep an even keel with her and then they could deal with the rest together. He needed reassurance that she was happy with him and holding the gift of his trust with everything she had.

She yawned, snuggled back into him, and fell asleep. He stayed awake a little longer to admire the sleeping beauty in his arms. They didn't have this chance last time to cuddle and be close. He wanted a few more minutes like this, not remembering feeling as blissful, maybe ever. Eventually he fell asleep as well.

She woke before he did. She had moved slightly away from him in her sleep, waking on her stomach. She propped herself up on her elbows and was careful not to disturb him. It was rare that she wasn't caught in his gaze. He was always on alert. A few years ago she would have said he never slept, that he didn't need it or was too busy plotting. Now he was safe, peacefully dozing next to her.

He remained on his back, sheet slipping down around his stomach. He looked so sweet and gentle. Ha. If they only knew. She took in his long lashes, full lips, and stubbled cheeks. She was studying his tattoos when he woke and saw her eyeing him.

"Like what you see?" he growled in his morning voice.

She rolled her eyes, although there was something she'd been wanting to do to him. He seemed relaxed and calm. Now was her chance.

"You're so beautiful. You know that?"

He smiled. She reached up to feel his dimples, loving the deep groves in his cheeks.

"Klaus, um, you wouldn't judge me, right?"

"What do you mean? Of course not."

She looked down and blushed.

"Well, um, there's something I'd like to do."

"Anything." No hesitation. He had no idea what she was going to say. Another one of the things he loved about her. Was she hungry? Did she want him to leave while she dressed?

"Iwanttolickyourtattoo," she said as fast as possible. She'd been wanting to do it since she'd seen it during the Silas fiasco, but she was still embarrassed to admit it in the morning light. They were going to get past the awkwardness by spending more intimate moments together like this and what better way than for her to weirdly ask for what she wanted. Why didn't she just start while he was asleep again though?

"What?" He couldn't follow her.

"Ugh. Fine. I. Want. To. Lick. Your. Tattoo. Got it?" She looked him straight in the eye as she enunciated each word.

His eyes gleamed and heated up. He felt he was so obvious in his attraction to her that any way she showed the same emotions made him feel smug. He threw his arms out wide. "All yours sweetheart."

Ignoring the smirk because having the handsome hybrid in her bed with some interesting tenting action going on down below was turning her on too much, she pulled down the sheet on him. She smirked at him when she saw how hard he was for her. She hoped this killed him.

She climbed on top, straddling his hips.

She slowly ran her fingers along the birds and feather, tracing the outer edges, then all the finer details inside. He shivered and goosebumps broke out on his skin. Once wasn't enough, so she did it a few more times.

She leaned in slowly, moving lower down his body to reach the tattoo with her mouth, her breasts rubbed along his ribs. Her tongue followed the path her fingers had made, outlining the whole and moving again to the detailed work. Her tongue laved from feather to the birds and back again. Over and over. His skin salty on her tongue. She occasionally looked up to see him absolutely engaged in everything she was doing. Her tongue touched every line and he started groaning halfway through her exploration. She mixed in some light sucking kisses. He moved his hand to cup her head, threading through the strands, moving some tresses so he could watch her work.

She continued kissing, sucking, and licking it completely multiple times. Once she was finally satisfied that she'd licked all of his tattoo as she'd been fantasizing about, she moved down to his nipple for a quick flick. Klaus inhaled sharply.

It was working, she was killing him. Now she had the smug smile for the panting Original beneath her.

Taking his cock in her hands, she lifted herself up and on it. Getting to lick him turned her on enormously, so she was very ready for him.

His phone buzzed in his pants. They both ignored it. Nothing was more important than what was going on here.

He brought his hands up to her waist. She started to slowly move on him. She ran her hands through her hair and over her chest. Her motions picked up and her hands moved down to her own full pussy. She went quickly into fully riding him, dropping her weight onto him and rubbing her clit with her downward motions. He pushed his hips up as well, watching her move over him. Ready for her to come.

"It feels so good. Yes, Klaus. Yes."

"Keep going. That's it. Come Caroline. Come for me."

She came. All the foreplay led to a huge explosion for her, sucking away her breath, causing her pussy to continue to pulse around him. He quickly followed her. She felt him come inside of her and she shivered again. Collapsing on top of him was all she could do.

His phone buzzed again. Neither of them were ready to move.

"Does this mean I get to lick your tattoos next time?" he was able to get out eventually.

"You bet."

After some recovery with her strewn across him, she rolled off and over. She went to the bathroom to clean up and then put on his white shirt from the chair. He wasn't really that much bigger than her, so it fit pretty well. She looked good and she knew it too, admiring herself in the mirror. She played with the collar, trying it up and down.

Her cheeks were flushed and her hair was a mess. In other words, she looked well loved. He was proud that he put her in that state. He'd like to do it every day for eternity.

"Yes, it looks sexy Caroline. I'll leave a shirt for you next time. You can bring it back to school with you."

Caroline loved the idea of having something of his, with his smell on it. She could already image snuggling in it while they talked on the phone or were on Skype.

"Hey that reminds me, no necklaces?"

"Not always."

"Hmmmm." She'd have to think how she felt about that. She didn't think they would really fit under a suit, but it was part of his unique style.

She got his phone for him from his pants. Tossing it to him, she sat back at the foot of the bed, stretching her legs out in front of her, facing him, leaning back on her arms. He propped himself up to check who had been calling.

Missed calls from Elijah.

"Yes brother, what is it?"

Caroline tried hard to give him privacy. She didn't know Elijah at all other than what Elena had told her forever ago.

They talked for a few minutes while she admired him. She looked at him stretched out naked in her bed. Klaus Mikaelson, the Original Hybrid, bringer of destruction, and sometimes very romantic man. Now Caroline Forbes' man. She liked the sound of that.

"I'm busy right now. That can wait. I'm otherwise occupied."

She rolled her eyes. The way he said it was indecent. Way to be subtle Klaus.

"If that is your way of saying you're currently in the company of Ms. Forbes, please extend her an invitation to brunch."

Caroline heard this while twisting her hair behind her shoulders and her eyes widened in panic. They had the exclusive-together conversation, but Elijah? Today? She wasn't ready.

She jumped up to her knees and waved her hands frantically in a no-way motion, shook her head, and mouthed "no."

How did Elijah even know she was the one with Klaus? Did she even want to know? Couldn't they have the rest of the day to themselves?

Looking her right in the eye, Klaus answered Elijah, "She said she'll be thrilled to come. See you soon brother."

"Seriously?"

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A/N: So this was pretty long.

I think there will be just one more part to this, which turned into a totally different series than what I had originally intended, brunch with the Mikaelsons!

Loved it or loved it? Tell me!


	5. Chapter 5

Taking Care of the Other One V

This is another one which picks up where the last one left off.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own these characters.

"What did you just do?" Caroline whined. "I don't want to have brunch with your brother. Plus he knows we were having sex!"

"I think he's had sex a time or two in his thousand years. Caroline, eventually you'll have to get to know him."

"Yes, but I'm going to live forever. Couldn't it wait a day?" She gave him a sly look and moved across the bed on her hands and knees to get close to him. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to his tattoo and he shivered at her touch. She pressed kisses up his neck to his ear. "Didn't you want to spend more time with me here…alone?"

Of course he did, but he knew Elijah wouldn't be put off for long.

"I like your new way of distracting me love, but let's get this over with so I can ravish you again."

She let out an irritated huff and jumped off the bed. She threw his clothes at him. She found a dress and cardigan in her suitcase which weren't too wrinkled and locked herself in the bathroom to shower and change. Once dressed, she threw his shirt she had been wearing out the door too.

She got herself together and was amused as predicted by him having to wear his clothes for a second day. They made the walk over to his home.

She was still a little put out by him, but it was pretty minor. After dodging his attempts to hold her hand a few times, she eventually gave in and smiled at him too. She was pleased he didn't blow her irritation out of proportion and let her come around without pushing in his bull-in-a-china-shop way.

She wanted to ask him what Elijah wanted from her. She was sure she could handle it, but she really didn't know anything about him. If she could charm the Original Hybrid, she could charm Elijah though. She was going to think positive.

She hadn't been to his home on earlier visits. That seemed to be giving him too many signals she wasn't ready to follow through on until now. It was amazing. The Mikaelson mansion in Mystic Falls was nice, but this was impressive.

They walked into the imposing home together.

"Niklaus. Miss Forbes, welcome."

The voice came from her left and there was impeccably dressed, fully suited as usual eldest living Mikaelson. He really was a handsome man. He seemed so cold though when Klaus was all fire.

He came towards her and shook her hand, which she had dropped from Klaus' clasp.

"Please, Caroline is fine. Thank you for the invitation. It was very kind of you." She could be gracious. She took her Southern etiquette seriously.

He nodded and noticed Klaus' state. "Why don't we let Niklaus change and we can chat in the living room?"

She didn't really like the sound of that. "Sounds great."

"Yes brother," Klaus spoke up, "I'll be down shortly. Try not to make a fuss." He raced away.

She followed Elijah into the living area and sat down. He sat at the other end of the couch. She admired the beautiful room, full of things they'd probably picked up over the years. She was also listening for any signs Klaus was done already.

"Miss Forbes, Caroline I mean, how do you find New Orleans?"

"It's a beautiful city. I haven't traveled much outside of Virginia."

"Do your parents still live in Mystic Falls?" he inquired.

"My father passed away, but you may recall my mother is the sheriff."

"Ah yes, I'm sorry about your father. Family is everything," he paused. "How long do you intend on staying here?"

Caroline wasn't sure if Elijah was being polite or digging.

"Just for the weekend, I'm enrolled in college near Mystic Falls."

"What are you studying?"

"Drama."

He slightly choked. Caroline kept a smile from appearing on her face. From what she knew, Elijah wouldn't approve of such a choice. Time to turn the tables.

"Elijah, how did you know I was with Klaus this morning?"

"I was informed by Rebekah."

"Will she be joining us?" she asked sweetly. Kill her now!

"Possibly." Elijah had invited her.

"Care to share any secrets about Klaus?" she asked with a grin.

He gave a small smile in return. "We've been brothers for over a thousand years and there are many things I still don't understand about him."

"Any advice you'd care to give since we're dating? Does he have any terrible habits? Does he sing in the shower? Is he messy? Has he ever borrowed one of your suits?"

"As if I'd ever let him wear one of these," he ran his hands down his perfectly tailored jacket. He could appreciate that she was trying to get him to open up and let him know the things she was interested in weren't his scheming habits, but what being around Klaus was like every day.

"As for advice, Klaus has many flaws and they're usually made very public. I think he's capable of great things if he would trust and love as much as he hurts and waits for betrayal. Someone who could show him what that is like would be invaluable. It would require a tremendous amount of patience and fortitude."

She nodded. She wanted Elijah to know she wasn't going in this naive. She'd seen the human part of him a few times and had particularly fallen for him.

Things picked up again once she brought up some of the places Klaus took her during her last visit to New Orleans to lighten the mood. Elijah suggested a few others. Caroline became animated talking about the city, what she had seen and heard. Her face lit up, she started speaking quickly, and she gestured all over. Elijah could see what Klaus found so appealing in her, her enthusiasm for life, even if he did prefer brunettes himself.

She also updated him on what was going on with Elena and he seemed genuinely interested.

"Caroline, I hope this is not too forward of me, but I want to apologize for interrupting you both this morning. I had been hoping to speak with my brother regarding some city issues and when he didn't come home…I didn't realize he was occupied. I'm sorry. I'll be more careful."

Oh boy. Caroline blushed. "Really, it's fine. We were, um, just you know, talking. You know how Klaus is. He makes everything sound improper and he loves to hear his own voice." If only Elijah knew the truth! "He's your brother. I don't want to impose."

At that moment, Klaus reappeared. He saw them engaged in conversation and it was reassuring. He was aware of what they had been talking about while he dressed and smiled at Caroline's endearing awkwardness.

They weren't sitting too far apart and they clearly had become at least somewhat friendly. Elijah wasn't being as pompous as he could be and Caroline wasn't defensive at the situation. The conversation stopped when they saw him and they moved into the dining room. A full buffet of breakfast foods and goblets full of blood were available.

Klaus sat Caroline down at his right side and then he sat at the head of the table. Elijah sat at the other end. The table wasn't large enough to feel awkwardly spaced. Klaus took her hand in his under the table, not really for reassurance, but taking advantage of the opportunity to do so now that they were together. How he dreamed of being able to be affectionate with her and vice versa and now it was a reality.

"What are your plans today Niklaus? I need to speak with you regarding some encroaching werewolves."

"Yes, yes, Elijah. Later. I'm sure you'll come up with a peaceful compromise. It's what you do."

It was quiet again until Elijah asked Klaus a question.

"Klaus, what are your intentions towards Caroline?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your hearing is exceptional. What are your intentions towards this young lady here?

"That is our business Elijah, not yours."

"She is an impressive woman. She's polite, brave, and smart. She had made multiple trips to visit you in the midst of her studies, uncompelled I might add. She deserves to know your plans Niklaus."

Was Elijah standing in for her father, grilling Klaus, once she told him he passed? It was really, really odd, but very sweet.

She pulled her hand free, crossed her arms, and raised a brow at Klaus, waiting. He'd never been shy with his talk of the future so she knew his general intentions, but she couldn't resist seeing if Elijah could make him squirm a bit.

"Yes Niklaus," she asked using his full name for the first time, "what are your intentions?"

"Caroline."

"Oh, Caroline is still here? Pity I didn't arrive later then." Rebekah strolled in, making an entrance as usual. She chose a seat near Elijah.

"Rebekah, she is a guest. Please treat her as such," Elijah scolded.

"Rebekah, if you have nothing nice to say I'll rip out your tongue," Klaus threatened.

"Nice to see you too Rebekah," Caroline greeted her as politely as she could. She didn't want to cause a rift in this crazy family and hey, Elijah thought pretty highly of her already, better not tarnish the image too soon. On the other hand, start as you mean to go on, "I heard you've been spying on your brother and I. Learn anything useful?"

The women narrowed their eyes at each other, but it was with petty dislike and not outright hatred. Rebekah wasn't hanging around with Matt, so Caroline didn't have that to be concerned about. Rebekah also noticed Klaus was more stable and a bit distracted due to Caroline, which could work for her plans to become independent of him. Neither wanted to disrupt things unnecessarily.

"Touchy, touchy this morning. Nope. I invented the games you're playing a thousand years ago. I also heard about the two you set up last night. Things seem to be going well between them. Terrible hair on that Cami though." She stood up. "Just stopped by to say hello. Now I'm off," she finished and headed out.

"I apologize for my sister's rudeness Caroline," Elijah intoned.

"It's fine. We didn't exactly hit it off in Mystic Falls." She ran her fingers through her hair. Hers was fine though, right? Rebekah had to be joking.

She moved on wanting to get back to teasing Klaus which had been the highlight of her day, well other than the morning activities. "Klaus, you never answered Elijah's question."

Klaus' eyes warmed, loving seeing her getting more comfortable with his stoic big brother and enjoying her lighthearted attempt to have him express his feelings for her again even after Rebekah butt in. He didn't mind it and if she wanted Elijah to hear it, so be it.

Not taking his eyes off hers, "Elijah, Caroline captured my heart on her birthday back in Mystic Falls. She's everything you said she was and more. I would do anything for her. My intention is to prove that to her every day for the rest of our lives. My heart is hers."

She melted and reached her hands up to his cheeks and gave him a sweet kiss. She whispered in his ear, "Thank you Klaus." She wanted to tell him her feelings as well, but she wasn't exactly positive what they were other than she cared for him more than she'd ever admitted.

They looked up and Elijah was gone. He didn't want to interrupt their moment after he heard Klaus start. He didn't know what happened to his brother, but if he was sincere with the baby vampire maybe the family could be saved after all.

Afterwards, Klaus showed Caroline around his home, giving special attention to his studio and bedroom, where Klaus showed her what they could do in an extra large bed. Being sure to grab one of his favorite Henley's for when she returned to school, they spent a blissful day together.

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This one was a little awkward. Oh Elijah. You're hard.

So, I think this is it, at least for a bit. I may add new people and more smutty drabbles though in the future.

Thanks for all the reviews, faves, and follows! I really appreciate it. It's very motivating.


	6. Chapter 6

Taking Care of the Other One VI

**DIsclaimer: **I don't own these characters.

Klaus and Caroline had been together a few months now. They were driving everyone crazy with their raging fights, usually about his penchant for chaos, but they mostly drove people crazy because of how happy they were. An Original shouldn't be seen with a goofy grin on his face. It made everyone around them at both Whitmore and New Orleans want to throw up seeing them together. They were always sneaking secret glances and drifting off together whenever attention was directed at someone else.

Caroline figured this was the honeymoon period and maybe in a decade or two they wouldn't be reaching for each other all the time. Being long distance didn't help. They spent her Christmas break together with her mom who begrudgingly accepted that Klaus, for now, was making her daughter happy. She would always keep her eye on him though.

For Spring Break, Caroline was headed back to New Orleans, but this time he was coming to pick her up so they could make the drive together.

"Klaus, yes. Harder. Keep going. Please. Right there," Caroline instructed him.

Stefan couldn't believe he had to do this. He should have expected it. This wasn't the first time he would be interrupting them. How did Elena share a dorm room with her?

He gently opened the dorm room door and saw the moving bodies under the sheets. Thankfully he didn't see too much skin. He snuck over to them, ignoring Caroline's moans and whimpers which might have been turning him on, and crept up behind Klaus.

_SMACK!_

Stefan slapped Klaus' ass or where thought it was was.

Not surprisingly, a very nude Klaus had him pinned to the far wall before he could blink. Caroline yelped and threw the covers over head.

"Did you forget you're taking me to New Orleans too? We were supposed to meet downstairs a half hour ago. Let's go."

"You could have knocked Rippah. Why shouldn't I stake you for your familiarity?"

Stefan smiled. He knew Klaus would be peeved about the interruption, but other than Caroline and his family, Stefan was the only other person he enjoyed. "It's not as if I'd been calling out your names or anything. You'd miss my sparkling personality if I was staked. C'mon. Let's go."

He could hear a quiet, "Sorry Stefan. Klaus is really good at distracting me. Give us ten minutes, I'm already packed," come from under the sheets.

"Make it twenty minutes. Caroline needs me." She groaned at his creepiness. They needed to work on his over-sharing. Also, if Stefan had arrived an hour ago, he would have seen Klaus "needing" her. "We'll meet you outside."

After finishing what they started in the bed in the shower, they met Stefan for the drive. He was ready to be introduced to Genevieve and see what she knew about bringing Damon back.

Stefan agreed to ride in the backseat of the SUV. Klaus arranged for the large vehicle and not his usual sleek Mercedes to give Stefan some extra room. They needed the extra storage space too. Caroline had packed enough for a month-long vacation instead of a week and of course she packed a cooler of blood bags as well. Klaus wasn't on the bunny/bag diet, but for the ride to New Orleans he could manage with them. They each agreed to respect their diets as long as neither pushed, but were willing to bend when needed.

Stefan thought being in the back was preferable. The lovebirds had to be touching at all times, plus he could stretch out and put in some earbuds to block them out and doze. This trip wasn't reminiscent of the last road trip Stefan took with Klaus, during his hybrid experimentation days.

Since they weren't in a hurry to get to New Orleans, it wasn't as if Stefan had to get back to school, they made some stops. Klaus shared what he knew of each place and watched as Caroline soaked it all in.

She fell in love with the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. She could totally picture Klaus spending time with the Vanderbilts dressed like in The Great Gatsby. He did look very dashing at the 20s Decade Dance.

They were amusing to watch Stefan had to admit. He would listen in on occasion. Caroline would push and Klaus would sometimes relent and vice versa.

"Caroline, if we're going to eat, can we go someplace that doesn't serve hush puppies again? Maybe someplace with an extensive bourbon list?"

"Klaus, can we not compel our way through this trip? Get that black Amex out. I've seen it and I want one."

"If I don't tell them I'm the Alpha Male, how will they know?"

"It looks terrible. Men shouldn't wear deep v-necks. That's something Damon would have worn." Even Stefan had to smile at that one.

"I'm telling you I know where I'm going. I don't need directions. Remember my friend Magellan? He taught me a few things."

"I don't think it's real. What? I sometimes watch those antique shows on tv."

"The Rolling Stones are timeless. I would know."

"I'm telling you that's who Jon Snow's mother is. I read the books and that's the only option that makes sense."

"Elijah doesn't know what he's talking about. Why is he emailing you anyway?"

"I know how to plan parties. It's what I do. I'm telling you, the best parties have themes."

"Have I told you today how beautiful you look? You do."

"You look nice today too."

"You make me happy."

"No, you make me happy."

"You have my heart."

"No, you have mine."

Dopey smiles all around.

After North Carolina came Chattanooga, Tennessee, where they spent a night, down to Birmingham, Alabama and finally through southern Mississippi to New Orleans. Virginia had rolling hills and trees everywhere, but the presence of Spanish moss, occasional plantations, country music stations, and the humidity let her know they were close even before she read any signs.

"Tell me again why we couldn't stop at Graceland?"

"Love, it wasn't on our way. Elvis was fun to be around in those early years before he got into the bedazzled costumes." Klaus gave her one of those smug looks.

"Why am I not surprised that you knew him?" she asked. "Oooh, did you turn him? Is he really alive? Are those sightings real?"

Stefan rolled his eyes and started unpacking the bags into the Mikaelson home. They would all be staying here. Stefan wasn't sure how long he would be in New Orleans, but he'd stay in the Mikaelson home the rest of the time that Caroline was still around and then see about other accommodations if needed.

Caroline glided into the home as if she lived there. Klaus admired the way she made the rooms spark with life, a drastic contrast to those days where phone calls and Skype were their only options. A little over two years and she would be finished with school. He was working to make New Orleans a safe place, under this thumb of course, in time for her permanent arrival. She was the missing piece to everything he wanted. She made him so very happy. While there were bumps on the way, this relationship with Caroline opening her heart to him, gave him more than he ever imagined.

"Caroline, Stefan, welcome," Elijah greeted them, stepping into the foyer. He gave Caroline a cool kiss on the cheek, but she gathered him into a hug. She was working on these Mikaelson boys. Watching Klaus squirm was one of her all time favorite things, but getting Elijah uncomfortable as well was up there.

They all got settled, ate dinner with Elijah, and moved on to meeting Genevieve and showing Stefan a little bit of what New Orleans was like. He'd been before, but never with the king of the city.

Stepping arm-in-arm with two of the most handsome men she'd ever met into Rousseau's, Caroline felt great. Instead of her usual floral summer dresses, she was wearing dark skinny jeans and a sexy black shirt with strategic cutouts. Black booties boosted her up closer to the guy's heights and Klaus' mouth. Perfect. She straightened her hair despite the humidity and added some extra mascara. She was feeling sexy and something about this city brought it out in her. She knew she was on the right track when Klaus looked like he wanted to keep her inside for himself instead.

Both of the guys were wearing jeans and casual shirts, Klaus in a Henley of course and Stefan in a maroon button-down.

This is the location they arranged to introduce Genevieve and Stefan.

"Cami. Shocking to see you here." Caroline couldn't resist. She hadn't seen Cami since that day Enzo surprised her.

Cami just gave her a fake half smile.

Both Klaus and Stefan were ready to move on and get a drink, but Caroline wasn't done with them and held onto their arms and glared at them until they got the picture.

"Yes. I'm back. Long time, no see. Klaus and I have been getting busy. Oops, I meant we have been busy." Klaus just rolled his eyes, waiting for this to be over. "Silly me."

"This is my friend Stefan. Isn't he just gorgeous? Bye-Bye."

Caroline wasn't proud, but she got such a kick out of aggravating Cami ever since she heard the way she spoke about Klaus that very first time.

She let the guys go and they both ran off to get drinks from the other bartender. Caroline found an empty table for them and Genevieve arrived shortly thereafter.

While Caroline supported Stefan, she thought the conversation didn't require her attention. She was on vacation with her boyfriend after all. He excused himself to say hello, more likely threaten, some vampires in the bar. She took comfort in being able to hear him, not the threats, but if she could hear him he was close by. She loved being in his orbit, learning what he knew, and just being in his company.

Genevieve agreed to do research in some grimoires and meet up again with Stefan in a few days. Caroline thanked her and Genevieve left.

Caroline pulled Stefan to the bar for a line of shots and then onto the dance floor, something she knew he abhorred, but it was New Orleans. It was Spring Break! It was time for more tequila! He humored her. He did a basic step-touch over and over. It was embarrassing, but she was in such a good mood, she didn't let it bring her down. She more than made up for his apathy by enthusiastically swinging her hips and head all over the place.

Klaus could watch her all day, but it was even better for her to share her joy and attention with him. Cutting between her and Stefan, he put his hands on her hips and did the same sort of lame dancing Stefan had tried. She took pity on him. This wasn't the first time he'd danced with her here. She wrapped her arms up around his shoulders and kept moving with the music, sinking and slithering around him.

She stared into his eyes and he was lost.

By the time she looked up several songs later, Stefan had already escaped.

Stefan knew from the moment Klaus stepped in that it was time for him to get out of there. Genevieve was doing research and these two would be going at it again in no time. Watching them have sex once in two days was enough for him. Maybe if he fell asleep before they got in, he wouldn't hear them. Maybe if he got drunk enough, he wouldn't hear them. Maybe if he didn't go home, he wouldn't hear them.

"Let's go home," she murmured.

He completely agreed.

"Cami! Cami! I'm leaving with my boyfriend, Klaus," she gave him a peck on the cheek as they left for putting up with her nonsense. If Klaus wasn't as possessive as he was, he wanted to tattoo his name all over her, it might bother him, but he was, so it didn't.

Pulling her outside and around a darkened corner, he maneuvered her against a brick wall and leaned into her neck, "What was all that talk about getting busy? Just talk Caroline? Why are you wearing pants anyway?" he ended with a growl.

She jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist. "I can do this though."

"This" was pretty good. Her long legs held him tight and they made out in the dark. She ran her hands up under his shirt, feeling his back muscles tighten where she went. His hands wrapped around her, helping her stay upright. Their mouths were fused, nipping and sucking.

They went as far as they could with all their clothes on, but it was time to move on to someplace more comfortable.

"Can we go home now? Doing it outside is ok and all, but I'd really like to end up in your bed."

Klaus whooshed them off and Stefan couldn't help but hear them later after all.

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A/N So I guess I lied about a little break, but I think I mean it now. Who knows?

There are no real plots to these drabbles, just a little bit of fun.

Thoughts?


	7. Chapter 7

Taking Care of the Other One VII

This chapter isn't very long, but it's mostly smut. You've been warned.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own these characters.

Long strides brought Klaus up to the bar. Ever-working Cami was there, wiping down some glasses.

He looked at her and said, "Cami, I just want to tell you that I have found my other half in Caroline."

"I get it Klaus. I'm over it. Why are you telling me this?"

He continued as if she hadn't said anything, "She's smart, compassionate, and incredibly loyal to those she loves. She's also strong, beautiful, and full of light."

He turned his head and whispered to the other side of the room where a figure in the shadows sat, "What was the next bit again?"

He heard the response and repeated, "Yes. I cannot imagine a life without her. I don't know why I'd look elsewhere ever. She's everything I've ever wanted."

He smiled at Cami who had a very confused expression on her face and left.

He was joined a few moments later outside by the woman with the black dress and sunglasses.

"A deal is a deal, love. Time to pay up. Did you notice I added the part about being 'strong, beautiful, and full of light'?"

Caroline did notice. He was so good to her, joining her in her little game. She leaned up for a kiss. He didn't mind playing along. What he said was true after all.

"Yes Klaus, a nice addition. You were quite the charmer that night and I was dead set on refusing you. When you showed me your art, I saw the human part of you for the first time."

The beautiful couple made it back to the Mikaelson home. Caroline was spending most of her summer vacation in New Orleans. Stefan had also decided to remain in New Orleans at least for a while, but found his own apartment. Genevieve was proving to be helpful and Caroline had noticed him spending time with Rebekah as well.

Right now though it was her turn to hold up her side of the deal and it wouldn't be a hardship. How they went this long without doing it she wasn't sure, but it was something they had both been looking forward to. Rebekah and Elijah weren't around, which was even better.

He let go of her long enough for her to drop her sunglasses and bag on the table near the door. Once down, they made their way up to their room.

She turned to face him, "This is going to be good."

His dimples made an appearance as he reached his arms up behind his head to pull his shirt off. He kicked free of his shoes as well. She watched as more and more of his beautiful body was exposed. He leaned down to remove his socks and then his belt.

"Why aren't you getting out of your dress love?"

"I don't actually have to take my dress off for this Klaus. Remember?" she teased.

"Yes, but it will be a lot more fun if you do. You know that's only the beginning too." He smirked at her.

"I do. I'm waiting for you to help me. Plus, I like watching you."

He liked watching too.

He unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, leaving him in some patterned boxers.

He crossed the room to where she was standing near the foot of the bed. He got down on one knee to take her sandals off. She ran her fingers through his hair at the same time.

He stood and spun her around to get to the dress zipper. He slowly lowered it and slipped the dress from her shoulders. He threw it towards their walk in closet. She turned back around.

He never got tired of looking at her. The way the sunlight pouring through the huge old windows lightened her hair even further, her flawless pale skin glowing in sharp contrast to the black bra and panties she wore.

She in turn never got tired of the way he looked at her. His eyes worshipped her as they traveled up and down her body. As if he hadn't seen her naked just a few hours ago. The devoted looks he gave her made her melt. Seeing him look at her that way while he was practically naked himself? Even better.

He scooped her up in his arms and she let out a squeak. He pulled down the duvet and sheets as he went, placing her in the middle of their big bed.

He settled between her spread legs and they kissed. She could spend hours kissing him. He was that good at it. However, they had other things to move on to.

"Ahem," she tried to get his attention. "This was your idea. Remember?"

He gave her an evil dirty grin. "What's the rush?"

She pushed her hips up into him, feeling how hard he was. She grinned in return, not needing to say anything.

He picked himself up off her and moved to her left side. Her breathing picked up pace as he reached for her left arm. He brought her hand up to his mouth and he placed kisses along the tip of every finger. He then sucked each finger into his mouth briefly and it felt so good. He turned her hand palm side up and pressed a kiss to the center. She squirmed and he smirked.

"I'm getting there love."

He moved his mouth a little further down and then reached his first target. The bird tattoo on her wrist. Ever since she had licked his tattoo they were waiting for the day when they would reverse roles and today was the day. Finally.

Keeping his eyes on hers, he ran his tongue over the tattoo. She groaned and closed her eyes in response, then opened them quickly, not wanting to miss anything.

He then used his fingers to trace the tattoo outline, before returning his mouth to lick, nibble, and suck the small area. "Yes." Caroline was convinced there was a direct line from the tattoo down to her pussy. She felt every movement on her wrist down there getting her wetter and wetter.

He gave the bird one final kiss and then moved back. He reached his hands out to her panties and gently tugged them down her thighs and off. He spread her legs wide which exposed her completely to him. "So wet for me Caroline." Her head flopped back against the pillow. He sat back on his heels between her spread feet and raised her right foot up. She recovered from the unspoken promises she saw in his eyes and propped herself on her elbows to watch his every move.

Again keeping his eyes on hers, he lifted her right foot and gently traced an outline of the star on her right foot with his tongue. Watching his tongue slip between those lips was such a turn on for her. His tongue licked and flicked the small area, covering it over and over. He could smell her arousal getting stronger. He then sucked each of her toes briefly into his mouth. When he licked across the arch of her foot, she couldn't help the jerk she gave. It tickled.

He put her foot down back on the bed and ran small sucking kisses up her right leg until he reached her bare, drenched pussy and moved her legs even further apart. He spread her inner lips and got to work sucking up all of her juices. She flopped back again and moved her fingers through his hair, keeping him where she wanted him.

"Yes. Yesss. Like that."

He focused on her clit for long moments and when he inserted a finger into her wet tight pussy, she lost it. She came with a shout and he stayed with her, moving to longer slower licks of her sensitive pussy.

He moved up her body and kissed her.

"Whew. That was hot. I need to get some more tattoos."

He chuckled and reached behind her to unclasp her bra, running his hands down over her breasts, appreciating her hard nipples.

"I have an idea for a tattoo."

Hmm. That might not be bad. He was an artist after all.

He moved down to her torso right above where her panties would be and started to draw letters with his finger.

K-L-A-U...

"No. No way. No. Don't even finish that."

He had such a cheeky grin on his face. She had to laugh.

"Why not?" he tried to sound offended. His dimples showing lessened the effect.

She rolled her eyes and then rolled them over until she was on top. She gave his bird tattoo a flick of her tongue and he shivered. She then sat back and pulled his boxers down his legs.

He was so hard and thick for her.

She moved up and gave him a kiss and then proceeded down to his tight stomach. Her mouth made its way to his abs and she started to write out her own tattoo idea with her tongue. He moaned with the first letter.

T-H-I-S B-E-L-O-N-G-S T-O C-A-R-O-L-I-N-E F-O-R-B-E-S

She then drew a downward arrow with her tongue through his happy trail until she sucked his cock right into her mouth. He groaned loudly for her.

She sat back with a grin and quirked a brow at him.

"I like that love, especially since you have a penchant for licking tattoos. Just one problem though."

"Only one? Oh yeah and what would that be?"

"How much longer will your last name be Forbes? Caroline Mikaelson has a nice ring to it."

Her eyes warmed. Only he could make their silly game romantic.

She leaned up and gave him a kiss and then went back down to his cock. Her lips stretched around him and she loved the salty taste. She sucked deep and hard getting him good and wet for her. After slathering attention all over his thickness, she laid down next to him and pulled him on top of her.

He gladly complied and moved his cock into position. Her legs wrapped up around his hips and he fit himself into her tightness.

They matched each other thrust for thrust. Deep. Hard. His hips moved with increasing speed. Her moans and whimpers turning him on even more. Their lips met and broke over and over. All of their foreplay was going to make this quick.

"Klaus. I need to come."

She reached down between their slick bodies and rubbed her clit in fast circles.

"Yes, love. That's it. Rub your clit and come for me. It's so good. You feel so tight sweetheart. Come for me love."

Her fingers, his cock stretching her pussy and hitting all of her spots, plus his words pushed her over the edge. She came, her body arching like a bow and within seconds she could feel him spurting inside of her matched with some swears falling from his lips.

After a few moments, he moved himself to her side and she tucked herself close to him.

"That was worth the wait."

She gave little pecks to the areas of his chest she could reach.

"Let's take a nap sweetheart. Maybe we can come up with some new tattoo ideas afterwards."

She laughed. She created a monster when she first revealed she wanted to lick his tattoo, but she didn't regret anything.

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I can't explain the tattoo thing, but someone did ask that Caroline return the favor and I thought it was a good idea.

What do you guys think?


	8. Chapter 8

Taking Care of the Other One 8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own these characters.

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A ridiculous drabble that's hopefully a little fun.

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Klaus Mikaelson was a serious man. He took everything seriously, his control over the city, his legitimate businesses, his family, and his love, but Caroline encouraged the lighter side of him. During her last weekend in New Orleans before starting her junior year at Whitmore, she arranged a game. A game of capture the flag in the woods.

He really, literally, was too old for this, but he was competitive and he expected Caroline to be on his team, so he agreed. He'd also been encouraging her to test her vampiric limits, which included some long runs in open spaces they'd taken together and this would be somewhat similar. He may have been a serious guy, but he was a pushover for making her happy and arranged for some participation. He wasn't exactly thrilled with her cast of characters though.

She was going to miss her New Orleans family. This was a chance to go crazy in the woods at night before research papers were her norm. She knew they wouldn't have picked this on their own, but that was part of the fun.

Meeting everyone at Klaus' estate in the country, Genevieve did them the honor of making sure any unwanted trespassers stayed out of their five acre play area for two hours. Klaus liked a little hunting fun on other occasions. She would be taking advantage of the empty plantation house to use the pool and spa while they were engaged. This was a vampire-only game. Sorry, Cami.

Caroline gathered the group of players to explain the rules. She looked around, amused, as some people were clearly taking this more seriously than others.

"Ok, old people. Here's how the game works. The goal is to capture the flag of the other team before they capture yours. These are the flags."

She waved some red material around for them to get a look.

"You must place your flag someplace visible, not buried for example, and it can't be moved. You can keep defenders around your flag if you choose. If you are tagged by someone, you are out of the game. If the entire team is tagged out, the other team wins. I have some blood bags, drinks, and veggies out by the pool."

She was proud of all her planning.

"We have 5 acres of play space. Genevieve put up a border, so try not to run into it. The game will last 2 hours or whenever a flag is captured, shout it out, whichever comes first."

She paused to give them a moment.

"We will be split into 2 teams. Names will be drawn out of a bowl to pick."

She smiled at Klaus' annoyed expression. She was pretty sure he either thought he was going to grab her to make out in the woods in the moonlight or he was going to get the flag within seconds. They could always do the making out part later. For the teams, she was leaving it up to chance.

She grabbed the bowl with the names and handed it to Rebekah to choose.

"Stefan."

Caroline gave him one of the flags and pointed to a spot on her right. He wasn't very excited about this, but like most, went along with it for her.

Rebekah pulled the next name, "Rebekah. What luck Stefan, an Original on your team."

They each gave a quick smile. Caroline thought Rebekah would end up taking this seriously. She was always trying to get the modern, human experience, and this was the perfect shot. Caroline also wryly noted her sleek black pants and top. She was dressed for this.

Caroline reminded them, "Ok, last name for this team."

"Elijah."

Rebekah practically jumped up and down.

"Rebekah, love, please try to act as if you love me too."

She gave Klaus a wink.

"Elijah," Caroline asked, "Do you think you might want to change into something that might not get ruined?"

Her eyes admired his gorgeous Italian bespoke suit, but if Rebekah was dressed for this, Elijah was the opposite.

"Do I look like I get dirty?"

Ok then.

Klaus still had no idea what leverage Caroline had on Elijah that he would agree to this.

"You're on brother."

She instructed Stefan to take his team and hide their flag. She gave him ten minutes before the game began. She picked up the pieces of paper with names and saw her own, unfolded, on the ground. The team was supposed to be Stefan, Rebekah, and Caroline. She was annoyed, but it was classic Rebekah.

She then looked over to her misfit team.

"Gorgeous, I'll stick to you," Enzo drawled.

"If anyone is sticking anything, it will be me putting a stick into your heart. Caroline, can you hand me a branch?"

"Boys, play nice."

Klaus was not happy with Enzo being included. It turns out Enzo had been at Rousseau's and Rebekah had invited him along tonight just to mess with him. It was working.

Caroline agreed to it because she needed even teams. The only other option was calling Elena down and she didn't think that would go over well at all.

Klaus moved to stand next to her.

"Caroline, can you tell this less devastatingly handsome, less charming, and certainly less dangerous mere vampire, once again, you are not interested?"

She sighed.

"Enzo, you know how men have a midlife crisis and get a much younger girlfriend they try to keep up with? This isn't the middle, but Klaus released his werewolf side and got himself a bangin' thousand year younger girlfriend. He's doing his best. Humor the old man." She then slapped Klaus right on the ass.

She couldn't help her big grin, but maybe this would settle these two down for a while. "We've got a game to win."

"Here's the plan," she took control, "let's put the flag up out in a swampy spot. The splashing will give them away. Enzo, you'll defend the area, but set up away a bit as a decoy. You were in the army. You know what to do."

"You can order me about anytime, Goldilocks," he couldn't resist.

"Enzo, let me be clear. I'm going to kill you. The longer you insist on flirting with Caroline, the longer I insist your torture will be. Go fall on a tree. I liked this the first time I said it too, but Caroline, can you hand me my sword?"

"Listen mate," Enzo spoke up, "Hate the player, not the game."

Caroline made a disgusted face. "What? Who taught you that? It was Damon, wasn't it?"

She grabbed Klaus' arm to regain his attention. "You and I will work on figuring out where their flag is and taking out Rebekah. She's the one I'm most worried about."

The trio made their way into the woods and found one of the swampy areas. They didn't hear anything suspicious. Enzo volunteered to tie the flag up on a tree in the middle. This included him dropping his pants so his wet clothes wouldn't give him away later and wading in very slowly. Klaus held up his hand in front of Caroline's eyes so she couldn't see anything and mouthed, "Hurry up, wanker," to Enzo.

Enzo heard something about "doppelganger-lite" and "not wanting her precious eyes to be ruined" coming from Klaus.

Once he had redressed, their ten minutes was about up. They got into position and Genevieve let out a flare which she spelled with some extra oomph so they could all see it and know the game had begun.

Klaus stayed close to his love. She whispered softly enough that he barely heard her and he was right next to her, "Remember that movie we watched with the arena and the girls out in the woods? We should totally do that whistling thing if one of us runs into trouble." He's pretty sure he fell asleep during the movie, but just nodded.

They made their way east and the first one they actually stumbled upon was Elijah. He was slowly making his way quietly through the trees. If Klaus hadn't heard him with his super Original Hybrid hearing, Caroline would have had no chance.

She tried to use hand signals to show him what she wanted to do. She really watched too many movies. He just pulled her close and moved her mouth to his ear for her to breathe her plan into it. She also used her finger to write on his palm a little map. He agreed.

"Elijah! You scared me." She drew a hand back to her chest in faux surprise. They were about 20 yards apart when she "accidentally" almost ran into him. "Have you seen anyone else?"

"Caroline. My apologies for startling you. No, I have not."

She moved closer to him. "Are you having fun at all?" She gave him an endearing smile while Klaus launched himself at this brother, tackling him to the ground, and taking him out of the game.

"I told you, brother. Now your suit is ruined." He looked up at Caroline who gave him a big thumbs up, pleased her distraction worked on another Mikaelson.

She walked over to a miffed Elijah and stretched out a hand to help him up. "All is fair in capture the flag, Elijah. I left a bottle of your favorite merlot out to breathe. Say hello to Genevieve for me."

Ruining his suit was not fun for Elijah, but at least this was over quickly. He made Caroline, and in turn Klaus, happy and that was good enough.

They spent a long time searching the area where Elijah was found in case he was guarding the flag, but no luck.

After a quick kiss, Caroline convinced Klaus she was ok on her own and asked him to go win the flag for her. His eyes lit up. The werewolf side of him really liked the idea of bringing her back a prize and dropping it at her feet.

"Remember our whistle?"

He rolled his eyes and whooshed off.

She wandered in the woods, creeping along slowly, not making any noise. In her head, she was coming up with plans in case she ran into the other team and places she wanted to look for the flag. She was the youngest of the group and had to be more clever than her opponents.

Heading north towards a large rock formation, she gently climbed up. Luckily no one was there. Once atop, she saw a bit of something light far off to her left. She thought it might have been Rebekah, but in the dark with only the moonlight for guidance, it could have been anything. It could also be a trap. So she watched and waited. Sure enough, it was Rebekah all right, the blonde hair gave her away…making out with Stefan.

She didn't have any firm thoughts on the pair. Well, she did, but they did have a history together after all. If anyone was going to be making out in the woods though, it was going to be her and Klaus.

She watched for too long. Ick. A noise startled them and they separated. Rebekah came closer to her and Stefan went in the opposite direction. Both were wary. Caroline assumed the flag was nearby. Getting both of them out would be really hard, but she could try to divide and conquer.

Making her way silently down the rock, she found an area of thick trees to hide in. She also picked up a small straight branch, with a bit of a sharpened end. Perfect.

Catching her prey in her sights, she crouched low and heaved her makeshift stake at Rebekah's torso. She ran right after it.

Rebekah flinched, in shock, and removed the branch from her left hip. Caroline used the distraction to cover her noise and was then in Rebekah's face. She lightly tapped her on the shoulder. "Nice trick with the names, but you're out."

Rebekah huffed and puffed. Bested by the baby vampire. "Like I care," Rebekah snottily retorted, but she did have to admit it was fun playing the game while it lasted and her time with Stefan. If only she could have gotten Klaus out, it would have been amazing. She whooshed off to get changed into something that may catch Stefan's eye.

Caroline quickly ran back to the stand of trees to hide out in case Stefan heard the commotion. He wasn't that far off after all. After waiting until she became incredibly bored, she eased her way towards where she had seen them, searching high and low.

She thought she might have seen the red flag perched up near the top of a huge tree when she heard the whistle! She perked her ears. Aww, he needed her. Of course, it was right when she was seconds away from finishing the game! She was an excellent tree climber from that one tomboy summer. The least she could do was go to him though, so she started in the direction of where she thought the sound came from.

_SMACK_

She ran straight into an outstretched arm.

Stefan just gave her a look with a raised eyebrow.

She stomped her foot in frustration. No way!

"I know you too well, Forbes. You've made me watch that movie. I just knew if I did it, you would follow. Where's Rebekah?"

Her lips quirked up briefly, but no way was she helping him. "Sorry Stefan, I'm out."

She hoped to see Klaus on her way to subtly hint with her eyes where the flag was, but no such luck.

Seeing there was still some time on the clock, she quickly changed into a bathing suit and a coverup for their little afterparty. She'd only seen Genevieve, Elijah, looking very dapper once again, and Rebekah near the pool. Enzo probably had his neck snapped out there, so there was still hope for her team.

Not a minute later a very cocky Klaus Mikaelson, Original Hybrid, sauntered out of the woods.

She ran to him. "Were you tagged?"

"Who do you think I am?" He gave her one of his patented offended looks.

He reached around and from his back pocket presented the red flag to her.

She jumped into his arms, legs locked behind him, and called him her hero, covering his face with kisses. He could get used to this. If finding a colored piece of fabric was all he needed to do to have her jumping all over him like this, he'd do it every day.

"How did you find it so fast?"

"I could follow your scent for the most part and I heard the whistle, but it was too late. Stefan had snagged you. It was just a matter of getting him out of the way."

"Niklaus, congratulations." Elijah raised his glass to him. The two ladies were too engrossed in conversation to do more than notice when he first appeared from the woods.

Klaus took her with him, still attached like a koala, up to get changed into a t-shirt and board shorts.

No one really bothered to notice Stefan and Enzo were out in the woods by themselves for no reason, until they both came out a few hours later together. Even Rebekah was content to make Stefan wait out there, playing hard to get.

Stefan and Enzo figured they had to actually go on offense rather than wait for nothing to happen and came to the conclusion they were out there longer than two hours when they found each other.

By that point, everyone else was either in or around the pool and completely trashed. Both smiled good naturedly and pulled up a chair and a drink.

It was all fun and games until Klaus started to say, "Enzo, mate, don't hate the," before Caroline dunked him. That phrase could never come out of his mouth, ever, if he wanted to kiss her again.

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So the return of Enzo and some Klaus sass.

What do you guys think? More?


	9. Chapter 9

Taking Care of the Other One IX

Three updates in a week probably won't happen again, but enjoy! I hope you like this one.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters.

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Caroline was nervously trying to build up her confidence. For one of her drama classes she had to give a performance. It was a monologue she'd been working on for weeks. Her professor decided to turn the night into a bit of a showcase so friends and family were invited to watch. He thought it would give the actors some energy and weed out anyone who had serious stage fright from thinking about a performance career. No pressure or anything.

Her class was small. No more than 50 people were expected in all. She invited her mom and Elena to come. They agreed. Klaus had just been up and she didn't want to impose.

She chose to do one of Beatrice's monologues from Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare. Caroline could relate to her quite a bit. A snarky woman involved with an arrogant man who liked to hear himself talk? Check and check.

Over Skype, she did her speech for Klaus. He was suitably impressed and gave her a few tips. He'd been around when the play had been first performed after all.

One time Elijah was walking past Klaus and paused to watch over Klaus' shoulder. Once she finished, he immediately started up where she left off. She never doubted he could spout Shakespeare with the best. He told her he was impressed. She then proceeded to remind Klaus over and over. Lots of eye rolling, which he totally picked up from her, ensued.

Klaus was very supportive and offered to come up, but she wanted him to stay there. He wished her well and wanted to hear all about it once it was over.

Ok. She could do this. It was only a few minutes.

Her fellow students did well. Some of the choices were uninspired though. Really, they were going with that? She didn't witness any total meltdowns, even from the one kid who looked like he was going to pass out. There was polite applause after each.

It was her turn. She slowly made her way to the middle of the floor, taking deep breaths, and looked for her mom and Elena. Where were they?

They weren't there.

Either one.

There was no face in the crowd who knew and loved her.

Their absence gave her performance some extra bite and she nailed it. The audience gave her more applause than her peers. Her professor looked impressed as well. She smiled at him and made her way back to her dorm as soon as the show ended.

Inside she was seething. Her mom left a voicemail ten minutes after the performances began saying she was sorry, but something came up and she hoped Elena gave her lots of embarrassing applause. Classic disappointment from her mom.

The dorm room was empty. Elena wasn't there and there were no messages.

Her anger turned into deep hurt.

Why couldn't anyone be there for her?

Was she selfish?

Was she too demanding by asking for their presence?

This was important to her. They made her feel unimportant when she would do anything, anything, for them.

Was she so hard to support?

She was the only one in class who didn't have someone there for them. The only one.

If they couldn't come to something minor, would they show up for something major?

If she called her friends and family in Mystic Falls right now, would anyone drop everything and help her if she needed it?

If she left, would they notice? How long would it take?

Why did this keep happening to her?

What was wrong with her?

Wasn't she good enough?

Her eyes started to water and she threw herself under the covers and buried her face in the pillows. She couldn't help the tears, but tried hard to keep it together.

Her phone chirped. Klaus was checking in on how it went.

"Hello?"

"How did it go, Caroline? Did everyone love it?"

He sounded so excited. She tried to keep the tears out of her voice.

"It went great. I got the best reaction from the crowd."

"I knew you would. You're very talented."

She could hear the pride in his voice and she had to bite her lip to keep from crying again. Her eyes were burning.

"Do you think Elena can send me some pictures? I bet I could turn them into a great painting."

"Ah, no."

Don't make her explain why her friend and roommate wasn't there. Please.

"Ok, how about my biggest fan, your mother?"

That would be even harder to say out loud, no matter often she had to do it in her life.

"No. Look Klaus, thanks for calling. I appreciate it, but I need to go right now. I don't feel well. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Ok, love. I knew you could do it. Get some rest. Goodnight, sweetheart."

She hung up. She was losing it. She was so thankful he was there for her, the only one, but the other losses still stung too hard. She gave in and cried. It felt good to let it out.

Klaus knew something wasn't right. She was much too excited for this performance to be over it already. She should be speaking a million miles an hour giving him details about what so-and-so was wearing down to the length of her ovation.

His gut churned, not knowing what was going on. He hated this. This feeling is what lead to destruction to those unfortunate enough to be in his way. He waited a little while and called again. He couldn't stand it.

"Klaus, I thought we said goodnight."

She sounded weary and as though she'd been crying. This was not acceptable.

"I'm sorry, Caroline," he sighed, "Will you please tell me what happened?"

"It's nothing. I'm a big girl and I'll deal with it. I'm not in any danger so put down your weapons."

How could he help her if she wouldn't tell him what happened?

"Caroline," he started, but she cut him off.

"Hold on, I think Elena forgot her keys." She put down her phone.

Caroline opened the door for her absent roommate.

"Hey, sorry Care. I left my bag in here."

Caroline didn't say a word and started to make her way back to her bed. She just wanted this day to end. A far cry from how excited she'd been a few hours ago. Nope. Don't think like that or the floodgates would re-open.

"Are you ok? Your eyes are red. Have you been watching tragic romances again while Klaus is away?" Elena tried to lighten the mood.

"I'm fine, Elena," she replied in a monotone voice.

Elena put down her phone and notebooks when she saw the calendar on her desk. There it was. In ink. With drawings and highlights all around it.

"Oh my gosh. Caroline. Your show! I'm so sorry. I totally forgot. How was it? Why didn't you remind me? Did your mom take pictures?"

Like the colored calendar and constant mentions of her show tonight weren't enough?

Elena's phone rang before Caroline could answer and she wasn't sure what she'd say anyway.

"Oh, that's Jeremy. He's downstairs. I'm going home for the weekend. No class tomorrow. See you Monday."

Grabbing the bag she packed earlier and her keys, she left.

Caroline mumbled, "No one took pictures, because no one was there for me."

A sniffle escaped and she returned to bury herself in bed again.

Shoot!

Her phone.

Klaus heard everything. No!

She picked it up so she could hang up and pretend none of this happened.

He could somehow sense her presence though.

"Sweetheart."

That was all it took and she was a sobbing mess. Now he knew of her humiliation. No one could be bothered to be there for her and she built it up so much beforehand.

"I'm sorry, Caroline."

This killed him, hearing her heartbreaking sobs, and him so far away. How did these people not recognize how amazing she was? He was starting to get the hang of friendships, but for someone whose loyalty and attention was second to none, this had to be killing her. All giving and getting nothing in return.

She was so strong, but she had a soft heart that could be bruised. It's one of the many things he loved about her. Her strength and vulnerability mixed so beautifully.

"Please tell me."

She did. She told him about her mom and Elena. She told him about all the times before tonight too.

He listened and whispered consoling words until she fell into an exhausted sleep.

She felt better in the morning, although a little embarrassed. Caroline Forbes, pity party for one.

Yes, the performance meant something to her, but it was only a few minutes. Her mom was an important person in Mystic Falls. Emergencies happened all the time. People reached out to Sheriff Forbes for help. Caroline knew her mother loved her, but she couldn't always be there.

Elena hadn't been her best friend in a long time. She was just an old friend and in two years, Caroline would be in New Orleans and Elena would probably still be in Mystic Falls.

Stefan was in New Orleans. Genevieve was in New Orleans. Rebekah and Elijah were in New Orleans. Even her favorite person to give a hard time to was in New Orleans. Best of all by a wide margin? The man she loved was in New Orleans.

She had no doubt whatsoever that it was love, real love, she felt for that man. Their relationship wasn't perfect. They weren't perfect, but it was them, and it was special.

She'd like to think if the show last night had been in New Orleans she would have her cobbled-together family there for her. She wasn't becoming closed off now that she was with Klaus either. In fact, her circle was getting a little larger. She took care of the relationships with all of her hometown friends and they were just growing apart. Last night was harsh, but her future looked great.

She even got the courage to call her mom and gave the details of her amazing performance. When asked, she explained Elena didn't make it either. She didn't want to be petty or make her mom feel guilty, but she didn't make excuses either.

She showered and climbed into one of Klaus' Henleys and some booty shorts. She was cozy and comforted. A blood bag helped.

She felt a little embarrassed about her breakdown on the phone, but it would take more than some tears to scare off Klaus Mikaelson. She knew that for sure. It wouldn't be the first time this would ever happen either. Might as well let him see her, warts and all.

Due to a lecture cancellation, she didn't have class today either. A day to pamper herself seemed in order.

A knock startled her from her movie marathon. Action flicks. She didn't think she had any more tears to spare watching anything other than action movies. She opened it to find Klaus on the other side, a dozen red roses in his arms. She melted seeing that face.

"Roses for the diva."

She pulled him inside and hugged him as tightly as she could. His hands ran up and down her back, soothing and comforting.

Long moments later she whispered a "thank you" into his neck.

He released her and went back to the hallway for something else, closing the door behind him.

"The roses were for the actress. The peonies are for my love."

A dozen white peonies. Just like the first flowers he ever gave to her.

Her hands crept up to her face and she started to cry. She did have some tears left after all. She embraced him again, holding him close. She leaned up into him and kissed him on the cheek, tears never stopping.

This man. He came. He came for her when no one else did. This man would always come for her.

"Caroline. Please don't. No more crying. Give me a list of people to kill for you. It will be fun."

She gave a watery laugh.

After an even longer hug this time, they sat on her bed side by side, hands clasped together.

"I have a surprise."

"Klaus, you being here is enough. No more." She wanted him. That's all.

"This is for me actually."

He took his sleek phone out. He moved the screen between them so they could both see.

She appeared once the video started. It was from the night before.

Caroline couldn't help the smile and sniffle. He was going to watch her when no one else did. She squeezed his hand tighter.

The camera zoomed in to get better focus and it ended up with extra zoom so tight that her boobs filled the frame before zooming back to an appropriate level.

She laughed while Klaus growled and mumbled some plan that included compelling "that hormonal boy" to stay away from her and deleting the original video.

Her performance filled the screen and she was electric. She even impressed herself. She aced this for sure.

He put down the phone, stood, and clapped for her.

"Excellent job, sweetheart. I loved it. You certainly brought fire to the part. It was even better than your rehearsals. Well done."

She preened under his attention and pulled him in for a kiss. That's the face he always wanted to see from her.

"Nice shirt, love," he smirked. She was totally going to return the one she had on and snag the one he was wearing before he left. Hers was starting to lose his scent. He wouldn't mind in the least since he would get the one she been snuggling in. Oh and bonus, it meant her being naked.

She ran her finger along his dimples.

The moment was broken when his phone chirped.

He looked down and smiled. He passed the phone to her.

_Triumphant performance. Best I've ever seen._

It was from Elijah.

Now she knew she could gloat. She did a little shoulder shimmy and he laughed. He could give her a standing ovation, but one nice text from Elijah and she was practically dancing.

Klaus must have forwarded the video along even before he watched it. She also still thought it was funny Elijah always texted rather than called Klaus when he knew they were together after that one time.

She took his face in her hands and looked deep into his sensational blue eyes, serious now.

"I love you."

His eyes leaped and he kissed her. It was perfect. The kiss to end all kisses. It almost made her cry again.

She never said "I love you" first in her past relationships, but while he hadn't actually said those three words together, he said everything but that. He called her his partner, his other half, having his heart, etc.

There was no risk in saying it.

She was never more confident in anything than in the fact that he was irrevocably and completely in love with her.

"I love you, too."

She said, "I know," just like he did at the Mikaelson ball.

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I'll admit it. I cried. Was I the only one?


	10. Chapter 10

Taking Care of the Other One X

**Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters.

"Pumpkin, can you pass me those books?"

Klaus made a face and didn't move from his spot on the couch.

"What?"

She kept the smile in that wanted to break out. She'd been trying out endearments on him for the past few days. She felt like she needed something to call him other than "Klaus." He was always calling her "love" and "sweetheart." She'd already gone through "pookie," "cutie," "darling," and even "stud." The variety of offended faces he could make was impressive. Who was the drama major again?

"What's wrong with 'Pumpkin' honey?"

"Honey is less offensive, but none are appropriate for a man of my position."

This was going to be good.

"Oh and what exactly is your position?"

He smiled smugly and moved until he could reach her.

Pulling her into his embrace, circling his arms around her waist, "The Original Hybrid. King of New Orleans. Niklaus Mikaelson. First of my name. Most Dangerous, yet handsome, Man in the Northern Hemisphere." He continued, "People should hear my name and tremble with fear. You calling me 'pumpkin' doesn't inspire that at all. Do I look like a 'pumpkin'?"

His arrogance really was too much, but he also amused her more than people knew.

"I'm not suggesting you use it as a new name." She rolled her eyes. "What about in private though? No one is here now, so what if I called you something when it's just us?" she asked looking up at him coyly.

"I will consider your request."

"Consider this," she retorted and broke away from him and started to grab some workout clothes from around the room. He really was something else. She wasn't really mad, because he wasn't really serious, but he did tend to get superior and she had to keep that in check. She could think of a few new names to call him too.

"Don't be hasty now, Caroline. I've thought about it and I'll agree to it. Only if we're in bed though. We can try it out right now."

She walked into the bathroom and got changed. She knew he wouldn't accept any pet name in public, but it was fun to get him going. He was delusional though if he thought she would jump in bed now. Plus she had an idea and it was time for a study break.

She put on a sports bra, gray Whitmore T-shirt, black yoga pants, socks, and her pink sneakers.

"Let's take this outside."

Caroline could defend herself pretty well. She was taking some kickboxing classes off campus for her required PE credit and was improving. It wasn't the bouncy aerobic-type kickboxing, but the real deal. She loved it. She had to control her vampire-enhanced capabilities during class, but worked on her technique. It wasn't always fun to keep tight control on what she could actually do, which is where Klaus came in. She could go no holds barred with him.

He sighed and followed her into the backyard. It was Thanksgiving break. They were in New Orleans at his place in the country. Her mom was going to have to work over the holiday anyway, so it didn't make sense to head to an empty house. She spent an entire weekend with her mother in Mystic Falls the week before to get some mother-daughter bonding time in.

He might have sighed, mostly because she was pissed at him and he was going to feel her wrath, but he loved that she was taking her training seriously. He worried about her safety and her learning ways to defend herself soothed him a little bit.

He also loved getting physical with her. What wasn't there to love about it? Caroline Forbes was in form fitting clothes climbing all over him.

She would always be clever enough to get out of a lot of jams, but when faced with a dangerous physical threat she was figuring out soft spots and how to break out of holds, etc.

He put his hands up and tried to explain himself. She grabbed a hold of her foot, pulling it up to her butt behind her, and stretched her quad muscle.

"Love, I was teasing."

She didn't acknowledge him at all, except to switch the leg she was stretching.

"Caroline, you can call me whatever you want. I'm sorry."

She put her foot down and put her hands on her hips.

"It's not the name thing. It's how you acted as though you would deign to listen to me. Will you treat me as your equal and not as one of your so-called subjects?"

"Always and you'll remind me if I ever step out of line."

"You've got that right…Nik." She emphasized the name with a smirk.

His eyes gleamed. He liked that all right. Rebekah was the only one who regularly called him that. Genevieve didn't count. The world called him Klaus, but she could call him Nik. One perceived stroke of his ego, which apparently calling him "Nik" was, and he was like a big cat, stretching and luxuriating in the attention. She didn't do it often, but the way he loved it entertained her to no end.

While he was busy preening, she launched herself at him with an extremely quick combination of kicks, punches, and strikes from her elbows and knees.

The human eye wouldn't have been able to keep up with their movements.

He scrambled to get out of her way. He didn't hit her ever. If anything, he would tap her to show where she was vulnerable. It just wasn't necessary for her to get hurt to learn. She'd been hurt plenty of times in her life already. They would work on attacking and counter-punching, back and forth. He filled in the blanks that her instructors did not, including how to use her fangs to lethal effect.

She would back up, occasionally throwing in some good old American trash talk, and start all over again. She kept her eyes open for holes and worked on her timing of combinations, keeping her movements continuous and smooth. He would point out any tells she was giving to indicate what her next move would be. She hoped one day soon he'd turn into his wolf form so she could practice dealing with a wolf. Having the built in cure right there made it the safest possible way for her to learn.

They spent a couple of hours out in the cool air, sparring, and having a great time ending with some smiling sweaty faces.

When they were all done, endorphins racing through their veins, they shared a shower. What better way to save the environment than conserving water? She called him "Nik" over and over again in there.

After their shower they got dressed and Klaus laid down on the study's couch for a nap. She felt a little smug that she wore him out, both in and out of the shower. She sat in the armchair next to it reading one of her class assignments.

She shook him awake a few hours later. He probably had been dreaming of world domination. They had plans though.

They were going out to dinner tonight, just the two of them. Stefan was back in Mystic Falls for a visit with Jeremy, Elena, and Alaric. Rebekah and Elijah were at the house in the city. They would be coming out tomorrow for the Thanksgiving dinner. Caroline wouldn't be cooking a full turkey dinner. Nope, but she could call a caterer for the four of them.

The restaurant was elegant and quaint, meaning small, and it was part of a bed and breakfast. It was one of Klaus' favorite local places to eat. The evening was a little cool. Caroline had on a raspberry colored dress, tall brown riding boots, and a denim jacket. Her hair was down in loose waves. Klaus was wearing black pants, black shirt, and those sexy necklaces. If only it wasn't dark out so he could have sunglasses on. She wouldn't have been able to let him leave the house. As it was her hand was tucked into the curls at the back of his head the duration of the drive over.

They were having a nice time over a delicious dinner. Klaus was telling her about some of his favorites cities other than New Orleans and why. She couldn't wait to see it all.

"Niklaus Mikaelson. Funny running into you here."

Caroline looked up over her shoulder to see a handsome man behind her. While he had a huge smile on his face, it was clearly fake. She knew a little something about fake smiles, using them herself.

Klaus stood up and moved so he was between Caroline and the man. She kept her seat and tightened the grip on her knife.

"Marcel. Come to pay homage to your king?"

They shook hands, but she could see the tension in Klaus' forearm. This wasn't a cordial handshake.

She'd heard of Marcel of course, mostly from Klaus and a little from Rebekah. With their schedule split between Mystic Falls and New Orleans, Klaus and Caroline were together in unexpected times and places. Klaus thought this benefitted them with his enemies not being able to easily determine where they would be next. They could have followed her back to school, but it was difficult when Klaus was acting against them at the same time. He wasn't waiting for someone to attack, but was attacking himself.

Klaus told her about Marcel's betrayal and how he was one of the largest obstacles in grasping complete control over the city. Caroline had no illusions about what Klaus was capable of. Marcel was using what Klaus taught him against him and it had led to some very deadly battles.

Klaus had been letting Elijah take over a little more control in negotiating with the witches and humans. He dealt with the vampires and werewolves himself.

"Care to introduce me to your beautiful companion? Is this the famed blonde who has been spotted with my sire?" Marcel glanced over Klaus' shoulder to get a good look at her.

Pushing her chair back, Caroline stood up and next to Klaus and crossed her arms over her chest, running her eyes up and down the handsome vampire, letting him know she wasn't impressed.

"It's Caroline. Caroline Forbes, not Klaus' blonde."

She didn't want this situation to escalate in the middle of a crowded restaurant full of innocent bystanders, but she certainly wasn't going to let someone come in and treat her disrespectfully either. She reached for Klaus' hand to hold him back from any murderous impulses. It was merely a symbolic gesture with Klaus' abilities, but her intent was not to let this situation spin too far out of control.

"What do you want Marcel? Not getting enough attention from me?" Klaus smirked to show unconcern, all a facade. He knew this meeting was inevitable, but he was hoping to put it off as long as possible.

"No, no. Just wanted to drop by and say hello. I couldn't miss this opportunity to catch you together."

The implication was clear. Marcel could pop up anywhere, anytime. He also could identify Caroline in a crowd from now on.

The humans around them could pick up on the dangerous feeling in the air and were keeping a close eye on the trio.

"How do you like New Orleans, Caroline? I've really turned it into the city for vampires."

"New Orleans is certainly the city for some vampires," she scoffed. She'd heard about his creepy vampire-filled catacomb.

"I like this one. She's feisty." He looked to Klaus.

"He's very rude," she spat to Klaus, not turning her head. Talking about her as if she wasn't right there was one of her pet peeves.

Klaus squeezed her hand. He appreciated her independence, but there was a fine line she was treading with Marcel who was just looking for provocation. She squeezed his hand back. She could take care of herself.

Marcel just threw his head back and laughed.

"I apologize, chere, I'll let you get back to your meal. It was a pleasure to meet you. Klaus, you should keep a close eye on this one. Until we meet again." He departed as quickly as he popped up.

Caroline moved to sit back down and took a big gulp from her wine glass. She was fired up after that encounter.

"I could take him," she told Klaus, half-kidding half-not. She saw the dark glint in his eyes and wanted to get him back to the more human version of Klaus she was fond of. Plus she was fairly confident if absolutely necessary she would put up one heck of a fight with Marcel. She wasn't anyone's victim. His would be the face she pictured during her next kickboxing session. That was for sure.

Klaus let out a nervous laugh as he sat back down.

"Caroline, love, you might be able to, but please don't joke about that. He's powerful and dangerous. He's not to be underestimated."

Caroline taking on Marcel, alone, was one of his recurring nightmares. Her being used as a pawn in his dangerous game was another.

He reached across for her hand and continued before she could get offended and looked seriously at her, "Neither are you to be underestimated. You're smart and quick and I love you. I couldn't take it if anything happened to you. I have gone through some terrible things. I have done terrible things. I cannot bear the thought of anything terrible happening to you."

She squeezed his hand in return. He was practically indestructible, but that didn't mean she didn't worry about him either. He could still get hurt, cursed, anything. He did very little that was simple or common and he seemed to save those things for when they were together.

"I have some plans to deal with Marcel."

His eyes became mischievous and he filled her in on the measures and countermeasures he had in place. At her insistence, these lethal plans would only be started after some instigation by Marcel. He was already employing less deadly measures in their battle of wills.

As they enjoyed their dessert, the one he ordered and she stole most of, she asked probing questions about his plan. For most questions, he had an answer, but in a couple of instances she pointed out some weaknesses he hadn't been aware of. She was an excellent planner after all and had been involved in a couple of schemes that nearly took out an Original, meaning himself. He wasn't surprised at her insight, but she still managed to impress him even after all the time spent together.

They were able to regain their good moods by the time dinner was over and they walked out to his car, hand in hand.

"Nik, let's go home."

He raised their linked hands and gave hers a kiss in agreement.


	11. Chapter 11

Taking Care of the Other One XI

**Disclaimer: **I don't own these characters.

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Caterer ready and waitstaff given instructions? Check.

Bartender set up with plenty of alcohol? Check.

DJ with appropriate playlist? Check.

Room set up per her chart? Check.

Protective quieting spell in place by Genevieve? Check.

Security provided with RSVP list? Check.

Note card with toast tucked in pocketbook? Check.

Killer dress ready to be worn? Check.

Time set to get him to the party? Check.

She was all ready. Yes, Caroline planned a surprise birthday party for Klaus. He had never had one before, he revealed to her. Last year, after she finally pried the date out of him, they had a romantic dinner together. This year she planned a celebration at his New Orleans home. Mardi Gras starting next week gave it an extra festive feel.

The guests would include his family of course, Stefan, and some key members of the New Orleans community, including humans, ugh Cami, werewolves, vampires, and witches, yay Genevieve. It was a public relations event and party rolled into one. A hundred people were expected.

Klaus did not generally like surprises. Being on the run from your father did that to someone, but he loved birthdays and she felt like having it this one time would be fun. She also modified the surprise a bit to something she felt he would be comfortable with.

"Elijah, do you remember your part of the plan?"

"I will supervise all security matters. I assure you no unexpected guests will arrive. I have also personally reminded certain people attending that this is a party and the peace will be kept at all costs."

"Excellent," she noted while looking down at her phone with her list of tasks. "Do you have something to wear?"

He was silent and she looked up. If Elijah ever rolled his eyes, he would have done it just then.

She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I forgot who I was talking to." She gave him a coy look, "Do you have a lady friend you're bringing?"

He just turned to walk away and her smile got bigger. Elijah, despite warming up to her quite a bit, was not volunteering anything she didn't already know about his personal life. The little she did know was gathered through snooping too.

"I'll see you tonight, Elijah," she called out, "Thanks."

"Rebekah, do you need help or are you set for tonight? Which dress did you end up picking anyway?"

Rebekah didn't like waiting to get orders from the baby vampire, but she was looking forward to tonight. She told Caroline how she ended up choosing the blue one after all. Rebekah and Caroline weren't the best of friends, but they were friendly and went dress shopping earlier in the week. Rebekah had been undecided so bought two. Caroline's innate humanity attracted Rebekah. She remembered having more of it herself and being around Caroline seemed to bring it out of her, even when Caroline got bossy. They were similar enough to both entertain and annoy one another equally.

Rebekah was in charge of the music and alcohol. She came up with the playlist herself, old and new tunes. She also worked with the head bartender in coming up with a signature drink for the evening. Caroline told her it's what every major event was doing. Rebekah didn't know about that, but she didn't mind all the taste testing, well taste drinking, she "had" to do.

"I did find out an interesting piece of news."

"Do tell," Caroline leaned in. Rebekah really did get the best items of gossip.

"Your doppelganger will be wearing green tonight. You're welcome."

This was mixed news. Anyone thinking Cami was her doppelganger was bad. Knowing she wasn't wearing the same color as the human who made her shudder to think about? Good.

Caroline rolled her eyes, acknowledging the snark, as the other blonde walked away. It's what they did.

"I'll see you later."

"Caroline, tell me again why I wasn't put on alcohol duty?" Stefan moped.

"I hate to admit it, but she has great taste. You just be you, Stefan."

She didn't put him in charge of anything. It wasn't because he couldn't do it, but his enthusiasm for anything to do with the party other than the alcohol was pretty much zero and she didn't actually need his help. His presence tonight as one of Klaus' only friends was enough. He also acted as her sounding board for her toast.

"Do you have something to wear?" Really she should have asked Elijah to help him out. That man could dress to impress.

"I'm off to pick up my suit right now."

"Great." She gave him a hug and he left.

Things were really coming together.

All she told Klaus was that he should get dressed up for the birthday surprise she had in store for him. The spell Genevieve put in place was to keep the rooms for the party, the ballroom, yes his home had a small ballroom, and garden, quiet so Klaus wouldn't be able to hear the preparations or guests until he was actually inside the room. It was only in place for a certain amount of time and things would be back to normal soon. Caroline was a stealthy planner, but there was only so much she could do about his hearing.

Her favorite part of the party planning was how the garden turned out. There wasn't much in bloom, but it was green and paper lanterns and bottles filled with candles were hung from the trees. There were a few heat lamps set up since it was chilly when the sun went down. It was charming and romantic. She couldn't wait to enjoy herself out there.

The ballroom itself had purple accents, appropriate for Mardi Gras and of course it was the color of royalty.

She went upstairs to shower and get ready. She kicked Klaus out of his own bathroom to do this. She reminded him what time he needed to be dressed. Since she told him the day before that she made plans for his birthday, he was constantly asking her about it. She would just smile and distract him, which was remarkably easy to do. Usually a wink was enough to get him to chase her wherever she wanted.

She helped pick out his clothes. A black suit with a black shirt. No need for a tie. Sleek and sophisticated.

For herself, she was going for a sexy, classic look. She found the perfect black satin gown. It had a sweetheart neckline and wide straps. There was some detailing around the waist to give her a more defined hourglass shape. It reminded her of something from the forties. Very old Hollywood glamour. She pulled out her favorite Louboutins. She styled her hair sleekly with the ends curled under, pulling one side back behind her ear. Some ruby earrings from Klaus' secret stash of treasures was it for jewelry, other than her daylight ring of course. A bright red lip, lots of mascara, and a hint of perfume finished her off. She was really pleased at how sophisticated she looked. She was sure Klaus would enjoy it too. She could wear a paper sack and he would enjoy it though.

He did.

He looked awestruck when he saw his beautiful girlfriend. Her pale creamy skin was glowing and he couldn't wait to peel her out of that dress. "Caroline, you look gorgeous, as you always do."

He looked gorgeous too and she gave him a peck, careful not to ruin her lipstick. She couldn't wait to peel him out of that suit.

It was time to start.

"Ready?" She gave him a big smile and grabbed her small bag.

"Does this mean the suspense is over?"

"Nope. Here, let me."

At the doorway to their bedroom she stopped him and pulled out a blindfold.

He gave her a look.

"It's only for a minute or two. I swear." She couldn't help the smile on her face, making him instantly suspicious, but he agreed.

He nodded and she tied the black fabric around his head. Towing him along in her grasp to the ballroom, she brought him to where his brother, sister, and friend were gathered.

Klaus continued to try and guess what was happening along the way. He wasn't ever close to the truth.

Just as they were entering the ballroom, Klaus spoke up, "Caroline, are you going to do a sexy striptease? Did you pack your cheerleading outfit by the way?"

She whacked him the stomach as she pulled him in front of Elijah, Rebekah, and Stefan. It was even better since he couldn't see it coming.

"I'll take that as a no. Are you finally going to sing for me?"

She was touched he remembered. "Nope, but that's actually a really good guess."

"Are we playing out that 'mysterious strangers meet on a train' fantasy of yours? What about the James Bond hot hybrid vampire sex one?"

She put her hand over his mouth to keep him quiet as she blushed. "Shush." These people really knew too much about their very fulfilling, thank you very much, sex life. What else was new?

Elijah looked intrigued and raised a brow. Rebekah looked grossed out. Stefan was trying hard not to laugh.

"Keep your eyes closed," she ordered as she untied the cloth.

She moved to stand with the others to see his reaction. She clasped her hands in front of her chest, so excited.

"Okay. Open them."

Klaus saw his family and friend, plus Caroline, and the room set up for a party.

"Happy Birthday," cheered Caroline. "It's a party. Everyone will be here soon."

She waited to see his reaction since he looked a little stunned. She knew giving him the opportunity to come to grips with the surprise in front of them versus everyone invited would be easier for him.

"Caroline, you did all this for me? Thank you," he said sincerely, touched. He strode to her and gave her a kiss.

He went down the line thanking Stefan and his family as well. They were all relieved he was excited, although it occurred to each of them that his ego would love having people come to celebrate something of his, namely his birthday.

The others went back to double-checking their last chores, with Stefan following Rebekah around. Caroline gave Klaus a little tour of the room and the outside area. She told him about Genevieve's spell that helped keep the surprise. He told her how amazing everything looked and how he was genuinely looking forward to the rest of the evening festivities.

Guests began arriving shortly thereafter.

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I know it's a little short, but the next chapter will be the party.

I have an idea of what gift Caroline will give Klaus. It's not very imaginative and someone will probably get it, but does anyone want to guess?

No, it's not a new tattoo, although I'm sure Klaus will ask about that.

Thanks for all the reviews everyone. I love them.


	12. Chapter 12

Taking Care of the Other One XII

Part II and a quick update.

Party time! Oh it took a bit of a smutty turn at the end too. Shocking.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own these characters.

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Caroline stood by his side as they greeted their guests warmly. Elijah helped her invite all the right people. Klaus let her know who really mattered and who didn't as they approached.

"Cami, you came. Welcome to _our_ home." Caroline tucked her hand tighter into the crook of Klaus' arm.

"Yeah, um, thanks for the unexpected invitation. I'm here with my uncle."

"Oh, so you need to go see him right now? I understand." Dismissed.

Klaus nodded, "Cami." He was much nicer than her when it came to that human. A rare instance.

Caroline grabbed a passing flute of champagne. Finger foods were on trays brought around by waiters and a couple of tables were set up with some crackers, cheese, fruit, etc. Two bars were set up and that's where the crowds were. Rebekah's cocktail creation was a hit. There was also a table set up with some birthday cake, although they weren't doing the whole candle and cutting routine. He was over a thousand years old. People could get it when they wanted it.

While she stopped focusing on Klaus' conversation about his future plans for New Orleans with some witches, people started to take advantage of the dance space in the middle of the room.

If she had to make some generalizations about the groups of people who danced and what music they liked, it would go as follows:

Werewolves loved their classic rock.

Witches liked alternative music.

Humans preferred current pop music.

Anything popular before the rest of the non-supernaturals were born got the biggest group of vampires out there. It all seemed to remind them of great memories. They certainly could dance to ragtime music.

Watching Rebekah and Stefan out there for a big band number, clearly lost in each other's eyes, and having so much fun made her smile. She knew he could dance. That was why they were always dragging him out there, because when he actually enjoyed himself, everyone around him did too.

She couldn't help the giggling when she saw Elijah dancing later. She needed a picture of that. What he was doing out there was hilarious.

"Care to dance?" Klaus whispered in her ear from behind her as the song changed to a romantic ballad.

She put out her hand and he led her to an open spot on the dance floor.

She wanted to capture this moment forever. The swish of her dress against his legs. His hold keeping her pressed against him when he didn't lead her into an elegant spin or even very romantic dip. His cologne, subtle, but utterly him. The lights dulled around them. Faint voices and music not intruding on their bubble. Colors fading past her eyes as they spun around the room. The champagne fizzing through her body. Perfect.

He nuzzled her neck, speaking to her softly. "Are you having fun, sweetheart?" He pressed a kiss just below her ear and she shivered, loving the contrast between his soft lips and scratchy stubble. Backing up enough to face him, "Yes. Are you?"

Their gazes locked and it was just as intense, maybe more so, than ever. She broke the connection to rest her head on the shoulder of the man she was in love with for another couple of songs, swaying back and forth. She gave a contented sigh and he pulled her even closer.

The songs picked up tempo, but she didn't want this to end. She begrudingly lifted her head.

"We haven't danced formally like this since the last Decade Dance you know." She considered that night. "I thought for a minute I'd need a tape measure for that contest."

"No contest, love. I am the Alpha Male," he reminded her with a wicked grin. Sorry, Tyler, but it was true.

She noticed Elijah dancing with Genevieve over Klaus' shoulder. Hmmm. Something to keep her eye on. She was convinced there was someone in Elijah's life and it wasn't the beautiful witch, but this was interesting.

Rebekah was floating around and flirting. She also graciously took some pictures for Caroline.

Klaus and Caroline danced with other partners. Klaus danced with his sister and Genevieve. Caroline danced with Elijah, Stefan, and even a very handsome werewolf named Jackson.

What could she say? Werewolves had a thing for her.

As she danced with Jackson, keeping a respectable distance between them, Klaus was speaking to her. Every time she was spun close to the direction where he was standing, he whispered all the wicked things he wanted to do to her. Poor Jackson had no idea why she was turning so red. She needed more champagne to cool off after that and Klaus joined her for a walk in the garden where he continued to gleefully torture her, until she started telling him all the things _she_ was going to do to _him_. It was his birthday after all. She was looking forward to birthday sex as much as he was.

In lieu of not formally cutting the cake or singing "Happy Birthday", they were going to have a champagne toast. Rebekah had the music paused for a moment and flutes of champagne were passed around. Caroline checked her notes before stepping up in front of the gathered crowd.

"Thank you for coming tonight. I'm thrilled you could make it to celebrate Klaus' birthday. It's a special day and he's a special man. You could even call him an Original." There was some laughter and his dimples appeared.

Someone laughed a little too loud and a little too long though.

Ugh. Cami. Seriously?

She turned to look into Klaus' eyes.

"Klaus. We first really spoke on my birthday. You told me then how much you loved them and what an amazing world exists around us out there to be explored. You told me about great cities, art, music, and genuine beauty. I started to dream of bigger and better things for myself. It was all because of you. You've seen how beautiful this world can be. I want to see how beautiful it is with you. That night you also told me I had to adjust my perception of time. I don't want to. I can't look too far in the future when I'm enjoying every second in the present with you. I love you, Nik. To another thousand birthdays. Laissez les bon temps rouler."

She raised her glass, eyes sparkling, "Happy Birthday." It echoed around the room. They kissed. How he loved her.

The party was winding down. Well wishers said goodnight and soon it was down to the final group. They moved to the garden to let the staff finish cleaning up inside. It was nice to get some fresh air and quiet after the whirlwind hours. It was also time to give him his gifts.

Elijah found him a first edition of one of Machiavelli's rarer works.

Rebekah gave him the latest iPhone which hadn't even been released yet. She put her number in first of course. Some things never changed.

Stefan gave him an aged bottle of scotch.

It was time for Caroline to give her gift.

"Should they all be here to see this?" Klaus asked.

"Yes. Why not?" She was puzzled.

"Isn't it a new tattoo?"

He was wicked.

"Klaus, when do you think I would have time to run out and get a secret tattoo you wouldn't have already seen since last night?"

Rebekah piped up, "Why would he want you to get a tattoo as a birthday gift for him?"

Caroline played dumb. "I know, right?"

Turning back towards him, "No, I have a real gift for you."

Reaching into her bag she pulled out an envelope.

"We've talked about exploring the world. You know, Rome, Paris, and Toyko. I thought we should start that now. I bought us two tickets to go to Rome for Spring Break. I also booked a hotel, but we can change it and the rest is up to you. It will be our first real adventure together. Our road trip with Stefan doesn't count." She gave Stefan a smile.

Klaus was thrilled, checking out the tickets. Scheduling had been an issue, but now that this was booked. It would happen.

"First class. You paid." He smiled, expecting that, and the others left the couple alone.

"Sweetheart, I know I've said it many times tonight, but thank you. No one has ever done anything like this for me." A pause. "I love you, Caroline."

His lips were oh so soft. Her fingers couldn't resist running along his cheeks and ending up in his hair. His tongue smoothly entered her mouth and the kiss turned hotter and more passionate from its sweet and sentimental start.

After she softly sang, "Happy Birthday" to him, he needed to hear it at least once today, she made him blow out the candles in the garden that were in the hung bottles. She teased him about being the big, bad wolf as he did so.

They made their way to the bedroom.

She pulled off the gorgeous ruby earrings. "I like your idea of using these outfits during that train fantasy. It's a great reason to wear this dress again."

She laughed when he pounced on her. Landing flat on her back on the bed, she smiled up at him and circled her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. "You can't ruin this dress. We can put it to good use. Get up and let me take it off."

"No." He pouted.

"You can tear everything else to shreds, but not this dress. I love it. Hurry."

He jumped up and pulled her along with him. He found the hidden side zipper and got her free of the dress as carefully as he could in his rush to get her naked. He even helped get her shoes off. She was left in a sheer black bra and thong set, hands set on hips.

"Get to it, wolf man."

His eyes did flash a little yellow and he ran a finger underneath the middle piece of her bra. He pulled enough that the sheer material snapped. He dipped his head to pull each nipple into his mouth one after the other. He tucked his finger along one side of her underwear and it also snapped after a little tug, falling at her feet.

She stepped back and did a twirl with her arms out.

"See. No new tattoos."

"This calls for further investigation," he smirked.

"Nuh-uh. This is your birthday. My turn." She neared him and removed his clothing, piece by piece, until he was as naked as she was.

Positioning him at the very edge of the chair in the room, she knelt between his spread knees. She loved doing this to him, plus he was an extremely generous lover.

Bringing her hand up to his thickness, her grip tightened on him. Running her hand up and down, she spread his wetness down his length. She brought her mouth up to the tip of his erection and slowly sucked it inside.

The sight of her looking up at him with her red lips stretched around his cock made him groan.

He threw his head back in delight, hands gripping the chair arms tightly. Using a combination of her hands and mouth, she worked him to the very edge. He told her how amazing she was over and over. She kept him guessing by changing up her hand motions and how tightly she was sucking him. His hands would occasionally move her hair whenever it obstructed the view.

She gave him a break and removed her hand from his slick thickness and moved it to cup his balls. She rolled them around in her hand and he did not stop groaning. Her mouth sucked him as tightly as she could, determined to make this something he would remember.

She broke free with a popping sound and kept her hand going. "You taste so good, Klaus." She moved back to run her tongue up and down his cock, following the veins. She looked up and spoke with his cock on her lips, "Will you come for me?" Feeling the words spoken against him, he was transfixed. She moved her mouth immediately to take him as deeply as she could possibly go, feeling his balls tighten and pulse, sucking hard. He came as she continued to keep him enclosed in her wet and warm mouth, swallowing everything he had to give.

After cleaning up the lipstick remnants, she pulled him to the bed. He had enough energy to cuddle her close, but even the Original Hybrid needed at least a few minutes of recovery time. She contented herself by stretching out on top of him, enjoying the skin on skin contact. She held his face in her hands and made love to his mouth and she felt him stirring underneath her. She smiled into the kiss and he couldn't help but follow. She moved over some and carefully reached a hand below to get him the rest of the way there.

She scooted back to sit up, straddling his hips. Feeling her wet heat against him was all the additional stimulation he needed. She was feeling achy and empty. She was wet from the first moment she took him into her mouth. She was ready for him. "I need you inside me."

Guiding him in, she swiveled her hips and moaned. "You feel so good, Klaus." He moved his hands up behind his head, letting her completely take over, really enjoying his birthday. Her hips continued to circle, feeling his iron hard cock finally filling her. Her hands were on his tight stomach, giving her some leverage to move freely. She moved her hips up and down, enjoying the contact of his pelvic bone against her clit.

Leaning down she ran her hands up his stomach, over his chest, and followed his arms up his body. Grabbing his hands from behind his head, she moved them to her breasts for him to hold and her hands moved to his shoulders. He tweaked and pulled her nipples. "You feel so big inside me. Hard and thick. Mmmmm." She caught her bottom lip between her teeth.

She moved a little faster, hands back on his stomach, bouncing a little higher. Sweat collected where their bodies touched. His cock was hitting the sweet spot deep inside of her every time that was pushing her headlong into a climax.

"Nik, I'm going to come."

He encouraged her, pushing his hips up to meet hers, ready to come himself. He moved one of her hands along with his own to her pussy. His fingers collected her wetness and felt how tightly she was stretched around him, grazing her outer lips. Her fingers focused on her clit, moving over it in tight circles. "That's it, Caroline. Keep rubbing your clit and come for me."

She came with moans and whimpers, not stopping until she felt him shoot deep inside of her, loving the feeling of completion between them. She collapsed onto his chest, not having energy to do anything but roll off of him.

"Phew. I'm good."

She looked over and he was grinning, chest heaving. "Yes, yes, you are my love."

"When can we talk about my birthday?"

"Where's that blindfold you had earlier?"

They spoke at the same time.

It was going to be a long night.

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A little of everything in that one. Tell me what you guys think.


	13. Chapter 13

Taking Care of The Other One XIII

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters.

Caroline was splayed out on their bed. She laid down on her stomach, up on her elbows, feet kicking back and forth slowly behind her. She was crosswise on their king size mattress. The white sheets were tucked up around and over her, hinting at her killer curves. The ceiling fan lazily circled overhead. It was already a warm morning. Her blonde hair was bed-tousled and she had woken up not long before.

She was watching Klaus put on clothes. She found something so sexy about the process. She couldn't explain it, but seeing him cover up the body he had just had naked appealed. Part of it was watching his muscles play in the morning light. Part of it was knowing those clothes would be coming off later.

Another process she loved? Watching him shave. He didn't do it often and she totally supported the stubble, but whenever he shaved she would perch herself right next to him and stare at the beautiful face getting revealed to her. There was something about the deliberation of it. It had to be slow and steady. He even let her do it herself a time or two. Sitting on the sink, wrapping her legs around him to bring him close, and his face in her hands, staring at him? Yeah, there were plenty of reasons why she liked when he let her shave.

"Klaus, no. I'm not posing naked for you." She just wasn't interested.

"It's not like I'm ever going to look differently and will want evidence of how good I look right now." She smiled at the mischievous twinkle in his eyes and in a teasing way. He shouldn't keep telling her how gorgeous and beautiful and amazing and sensational and breathtaking she was if he didn't want her to use it against him.

"It's what artists do. All the greats capture their muses in oil on canvas. You're my muse. You inspire me. All the colors in your hair. The smooth blush of your skin. Your adorable freckles that only come out when you've been in the sun." He moved closer after pulling on some boxers and kissed her pink lips.

"I'll agree to pose for you, but not naked. I can't keep you from painting me from your memory, you already have a thousand drawings, but no way am I going to sit up on some stool butt naked. I won't ever send you a naked cell phone picture either." He hadn't ever hinted at wanting one of those. Of course they traded sexy texts. That's what happened when you were several hours away from your lover weeks at a time, but there didn't need to be photographic evidence as well.

He rolled his eyes, another terrible habit he picked up from her, and continued to get dressed.

"I can't promise I won't ever send a picture of my cleavage though now that I think about it. That's not too scandalous and I'd still be fully dressed. Or maybe when I'm going out to dance with Elena and I'm looking really good I can send a picture." She certainly got his attention and he stopped buttoning his jeans to look up at her. "I can imagine you torturing me with some sexy message and I would feel the need to one up you. Only if I was really horny. No, I mean really horny, Nik."

She then proceeded to catch her lower lip between her teeth and her lids slid to half-mast. She whimpered and made a close approximation of what she thought her "super turned on and about to come" face was like.

"Good form Caroline, but not quite," he laughed at her and she joined in. He knew better than anyone what that face looked like and that impression was not it.

She loved making him laugh. He smiled often and she would look for ways to see his eyes light up and those dimples appear, but when he actually laughed it made her feel really good. He made her laugh, most of the time unintentionally.

He moved to the walk in closet to grab a shirt and throw it on. He was actually going out to the art supply store. He was running out of a few tubes of paint.

"Tell me again about this getting dressed up to dance part. Are there boys in the places?" he tried to mention nonchalantly.

She threw a pillow at him.

"How about I dig through your treasure collection and if I find something I like, I'll pose in it for you?"

"I suppose that will do," he sighed.

She threw another pillow at him, which he caught and smiled again.

"I have a few errands to run other than the art store, so I'll be gone a few hours. Maybe Rebekah can help you find something suitable."

He leaned in again, twisted her onto her back, and laid himself on top of her. Her arms automatically came up around his neck, fingers finding his necklaces, and they kissed goodbye.

"The sooner you leave. The sooner you can come back," she said against his lips.

He kissed her again and headed out.

Caroline threw her hair up into a messy bun and pulled on some workout clothes to dig around in. She hadn't gotten a chance to fully delve into the Mikaelson attic and she was looking forward to the opportunity.

His sister had agreed to help her. Caroline wasn't sure exactly what she was looking for so Rebekah could point her in the right direction, especially considering some of these items were Rebekah's own.

Rebekah was also a talented seamstress. She initially learned how to sew in her human days when it was a skill every woman learned. Caroline may not be the exact size of any outfit they found, so Rebekah could hopefully modify something enough for her to pose in. No one would see the back of a dress for example. Plus, Rebekah doing the alteration on anything that they bothered to keep after this long made Caroline less guilty for having something that old altered in the first place.

"How about this?" Rebekah found a Regency era dress.

"It looks relatively comfortable, but I was thinking of something with a little more oomph. Less Lizzie Bennett."

"I know something that might be what you're thinking of." She immediately headed into one corner of the attic and pulled out an Elizabethan gown. It was gold encrusted with precious stones with one of those high collars that would surround her head. There was a bodice that would emphasize her waist and the color was amazing. It weighed a ton.

"Wow. Rebekah this is perfect. I would never get anywhere close to something like this without it being a modern haute couture gown. Do you think we could make it work?"

It became their mission to get Caroline into the gown.

Klaus popped his head in when he returned and saw the two blonde heads close together conferring about something and laughing. He didn't even mind that they were laughing at him, which they were.

It warmed him that they could get along so well. His sister had been the singular female presence in his life for a thousand years and it was hard to let that change, but it was for the better, for both of them.

He peered over their shoulders and definitely approved of the dress. It would certainly be a challenge to get the details of the material memorialized in paint, but he could work with it. He could add the minute detail when she wasn't actually in the dress either. It would require a few sittings, but he wouldn't tell Caroline that yet.

The dress was best served by a certain style of painting and in his head he was already considering how he could have her pose and how the lights should be set up. He spent the afternoon setting up the lights, making preliminary drawings, and prepping the studio.

The women worked on the dress. They agreed on mixing modern elements with the old fashioned dress. They didn't use any underskirts or hoops nor lace around the bodice. It wasn't too provocative without the lace across her chest, not by today's standards, and the modern push up bra gave her some sexy cleavage. Rebekah used clips to get rid of the puffy-sleeve look. They styled her hair in long beachy waves. Rebekah used gold eyeshadow and a nude lip.

Both were thrilled with the end product. She looked like something out of a magazine photoshoot. Rebekah really did have an eye for this. They took some pictures on their cell phone. Both in love.

Caroline gave her an impromptu hug. Rebekah was startled, but squeezed back once she realized what was happening. "Thank you, Rebekah."

They agreed to find another dress another afternoon and get Rebekah all dolled up for a photoshoot herself. With a grin, Rebekah told Caroline she thought Stefan might like a picture. She was headed out to have lunch with him as a matter of fact.

Klaus set Caroline up in his studio. She was in a three-quarter pose with one hand was resting on the back of a chair.

After an hour, Caroline realized how incredibly boring this was going to be. Klaus was all business focusing on his work. You'd think after all the time he spent staring at her and drawing her this wouldn't be so slow.

"Talk to me. Get to know me." She was dying for something to occupy her mind.

"You know, Caroline. If I didn't love you as much as I do, I would be worried that you have our conversations memorized." He smirked, loving that he made an impression on her that night.

"As if I could forget you almost getting hit by a car. You wouldn't know it was the same line unless you remembered it yourself." She smirked back, "Like you couldn't recite everything I've ever said to you right now."

He moved out from behind the easel.

"An amazing memory is just one of those Original attributes, sweetheart. I fondly remember you calling me 'perfect' at the Miss Mystic Pageant." He shrugged modestly and she laughed.

He knew he'd have to entertain her somehow if he ever wanted her to stick around for this picture or do it again, so he chatted. He told her about what life was like back in the days when the dress was originally worn.

Inspired by her trip through the attic with Rebekah, she asked him about other types of clothing he'd worn over his thousand years.

"What about wooden shoes? Did you ever wear them?"

He moved back and forth, peeking out from behind the canvas.

"Sure. It was what one did. Not very comfortable those bloody things."

She could not imagine him in such old things. How did he exist before Henley's were invented anyway?

She thought of something.

"Klaus?"

"Yes, love." He stayed behind the canvas.

"I think I read somewhere that this happened, but did you ever stuff your codpiece?"

She bit her cheek. She would not laugh. No matter what. She would not laugh.

He popped his head around from the side of the picture and gave her one of his impressive, 'Do you even have to ask' faces.

She bit down harder, not giving him the benefit of a reaction. No smiling. Nothing.

He just kept the face for long, long minutes, waiting for her to realize how ridiculous her question was. Her poor cheek was getting abused as she had to keep biting down, until he finally said, "Please," disdainfully.

She lost it. She couldn't stop laughing and tears sprang to her eyes. He was missing the "Bitch," but if anyone perfected the "Bitch, please" look it was him. Anytime he had to come to the defense of his enormous ego or superiority, it always made her laugh.

He wasn't as amused as she was, but it kept her there, so he would accept that he made the love of his life laugh, even if it was at his expense once again. He sighed as though he was suffering and she was in hysterics again. He kept his smile hidden, but he loved hearing her laugh.

He had to get her mind in another direction or he'd never make progress. Once she composed herself, he asked about her school and the other students and she was off, telling him every detail about everything. He had to remind her to not move her hands too much, but otherwise it was the perfect solution.

"Wait. Did you hear that?" She cocked her head to the side.

"Hear what?" He didn't notice anything amiss and paused to be sure nothing dangerous was on its way.

"That grunt. You didn't hear that grunt. Oh, there was another one."

He smirked and kept painting. He had a pretty good idea what was happening and what she was hearing. He heard it a while ago and immediately dismissed it as a non-issue.

Klaus knew exactly what was going on under his nose and was biding his time.

"No, seriously. It sounds like someone is getting tortured. Klaus," she dragged his name out, "tell me you're not torturing someone right now."

"No, love. I'm not torturing anyone this very second. You are torturing me by not staying still. I am doing nothing but painting."

This was crazy. How could she hear something he couldn't.

Hmmm.

Maybe he heard it, but knew what it was. He didn't actually say he hadn't heard anything.

She crossed her arms over her chest.

"You can't keep moving, Caroline."

She just gave him a look.

"You don't want to know." He confirmed.

"So you do hear it. I knew it. Tell me. I do want to know."

"No, you really don't."

"It sounds like someone is getting punched in the stomach."

"That's not it." He gave her a look like he was trying to tell her something without using words.

She moved her hands back into position while she worked on this puzzle.

Her eyes widened when a terrifying idea came to her.

Oh.

My.

No.

No.

"It's not Stefan, is it? Um, enjoying himself?" It was just too horrifying to consider accidentally listening in on her best friend.

He eased his head around from the side of the canvas and shook his head.

The noise continued.

She started thinking out loud.

"So that's not it. Oh and Rebekah did say she was going out to lunch with him. No one else is in the house unless you have someone chained up somewhere."

He didn't say anything as he'd already denied that. He knew she'd get there shortly.

She looked stricken and whispered very softly, knowing if she could hear this person, that person could hear her, "Elijah?"

He moved into her line of vision and nodded. He was ready for a break and he knew she was too.

She made a face that he'd never seen on her and he laughed. The agony of hearing his brother.

Once he was standing right in front of her, she asked, "Is he alone?"

He shook his head. No, his brother was not alone.

She was mortified. Elijah's room was at the far other end of the mansion. She knew they'd been caught a few times themselves and the others might be able to hear them be intimate, but knowing it and hearing it were two different things.

"I think he's a little too occupied to pay you much mind, Caroline," he teased, kissing her cheek.

"Yes," Elijah's voice immediately reached them.

No. Was he talking to them or not talking to them? He shouldn't be talking to her or them while he's doing it or getting done or whatever was happening. She waved her hands in front of her face madly, trying to get that image out of her head. How could she ever look him in the eye again? He called them once when Klaus had hinted they had just been together and he avoided them like the plague in case he interrupted anything. What was she supposed to do?

She ran to the radio and turned it on really loud. He smiled at her reaction. He'd been living with his siblings long enough that he got over it. She wasn't there yet.

"It's time for a break. Want a blood bag?" He offered.

"Can we go out? I mean, can't we give them some privacy?"

"Anything you want."

"I can't go out in this dress though, can I? Maybe they'll think I'm a model," she gave him a cheeky look.

"Either that or a queen." He kissed the tip of her nose and they went out to a late lunch.

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It was time someone gave them a little of their own medicine, being happy and in love all over the Mikaelson mansion.

What did you guys think? Lucky or Unlucky 13?


	14. Chapter 14

Taking Care of the Other One 14

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.

They were having an early dinner in The Quarter. Klaus and Caroline had returned from their Roman vacation. Caroline fell in love with the city and she definitely had the travel bug now. Klaus was an excellent tour guide and they talked about where they would go next the entire flight home.

Caroline had one last night in New Orleans before she had to head back to school to finish out her junior year.

They were joined by Rebekah and Stefan. The pair wasn't exactly serious, but they were always together. Caroline knew it was a matter of time. Rebekah wanted his total attention and it was split currently with his quest to get Damon back. Stefan was wary both because he was focused on his brother and Rebekah, like Klaus, could be unpredictable. He was getting to know her all over again. He had his humanity unlike their time in the twenties and she was more open as well. He liked the slow and steady approach they were taking.

Rebekah was filling Caroline in on everything that happened while they were gone, which wasn't very much. It mostly consisted of updates on reality TV shows and what she and Stefan had been up to.

"Rebekah love," Klaus pointed with his fork, "eat your veggies."

Rebekah shot him a look. Irritated he tried this again. She hated it the first time too.

Caroline rubbed his back next to her where the other couple couldn't see. She knew he was feeling left out. He was better, but he still wanted to be the center of attention, especially when it came to Rebekah. Her excitement at having Caroline back and raving about the places she and Stefan had been touched a nerve. If she'd shown a little more enthusiasm about Klaus' return, he wouldn't be acting like this. She didn't learn though and neither did he.

Caroline shot an apologetic look to Rebekah and changed the subject, telling Rebekah about the stories Klaus had told about their time together in Rome. Things went smoother and Klaus began to contribute more. Stefan mouthed a quick, "thank you," to her as well.

As they were waiting for Klaus to settle up the bill, Caroline looked up as someone entered the restaurant.

"Seriously? Did she get someone to use a locator spell on me?"

Klaus looked up, smiled, and went back to figuring out the tip.

Rebekah twisted around and turned back, rolling her eyes. Stefan did the same but added, "You know Caroline, you seek her out. She's not following you."

"You don't know that, Stefan. I have long bangs now. Have you noticed she now has long bangs?"

"Do you think if she wanted to see you she would have that terrified look on her face?"

Cami had walked into the restaurant, took one look at Caroline, and pleaded for the waiter to seat her for dinner as quickly as possible.

Caroline rest her arms on the table and leaned in, "You mean the same face I have? This terrified face? Maybe she wants to see what I'm wearing so she can copy me. Maybe she needs something of mine for some weird spell to get to Klaus." She turned to him, "You will tell me if you see her picking up a strand of my hair or something, right?"

"Yes, sweetheart," he sighed like a dutiful boyfriend and she gave him a beaming smile.

Rebekah and Stefan just gave each other a look how they hoped they never did anything like that…or at least not in public.

They all pushed back their chairs, the men assisting the ladies, and Caroline noticed that it was Enzo who was joining Cami for dinner.

"When I'm good, I'm good, guys, even to my creepy groupie," she smirked to them. Three groans were heard around her.

She grabbed Klaus' hand and smiled up at him and he just had to laugh at how proud of herself she was and how insane Cami drove her. It didn't even bother him that Enzo was there. Usually he'd at least growl and flash a hint of his yellow eyes, but she distracted him as usual. She tucked her hand into the back pocket of his jeans and they headed out.

Caroline texted Genevieve on their way, asking if she were free to drop by for some drinks. Genevieve was Caroline's only new friend in New Orleans still. Everyone else was either related to Klaus or, like Stefan, she knew from back home. Rebekah and Genevieve did have a history and had gotten closer, but Caroline was closer to each than they were to each other.

She didn't know exactly when she'd be back in New Orleans. So far Klaus and Caroline had only vaguely talked about Klaus' next visit to her. The girls in her dorm were counting the days until Caroline Forbes' hot British boyfriend came back around. She was doing it for them, she told them with false sincerity and they would all laugh. Of course she noticed how Klaus would puff up his chest hearing all the swooning going on behind closed doors when word of his arrival made its way through the building.

Arriving back at the Mikaelson mansion, they settled down to talk and have a few more drinks. Genevieve was free to stop by for a few hours before she was meeting with her coven. Elijah also made an appearance after they had their first drink, bringing in Genevieve who he had come across on the front walkway.

They gave them time to sit for a few minutes before Caroline suggested they play a game. She wanted to do something with everyone since it could be a while before they were all together. There was the usual moaning and groaning, but they gave in. The prevalence of alcohol soothed a lot of the grumbling.

Agreeing to split up the couples, the teams of two were Stefan and Genevieve, Caroline and Eilijah, and Klaus and Rebekah. Caroline smiled to herself thinking about Klaus getting some time with sister. They might have to change the teams up again if they got into one of their sibling spats, but for now it should work.

The Mikaelsons weren't exactly up on popular games, but this wasn't going to stop someone as organized as Caroline Forbes. One day she had stocked up on games and left them at their house. They had opened a few. Klaus, as anyone would have guessed, was amazing at chess. Rebekah was ruthless playing Monopoly, bankrupting everyone with glee. Elijah's vocabulary made playing Scrabble with him no fun at all.

After giving them three options, they decided to play Taboo. She read out the rules. A card listed a word that the player had to get their teammate to guess. The card contained 5 words usually associated with the selected word that could not be used. They were the "taboo" words. A player from another team would have the card to look at and use a buzzer if one of the 5 words was used. The buzzer meant the word was ineligible for a point. They received a point if they guessed correctly. There was a minute timer and they had to get as many words as they could in that minute. The group agreed that they would keep playing until some team reached 15 words total. It could go quickly or it could take forever.

Genevieve and Stefan went first. They didn't know each other as well as the others, so they only got 3 words with Stefan giving the clues, but both were so level-headed, Caroline knew they would do better their next time around.

Rebekah and Klaus were up next. Rebekah was the clue giver and they were terrible, but oh so entertaining for the rest of them.

"Klaus, remember that time we went to Versailles? I wanted to use this thing and you told me I couldn't."

He had no idea what she was talking about. He motioned for her to pick the next card immediately. The word was "piano."

"You put this on every day because you think it makes you look good."

"Necklaces. Deodorant? I don't need anything to look good, Rebekah." She just reached for the next card. The word was "gel."

"Oh, that terrible witch in Buenos Aires. She used to make this and she reeked of it."

"I remember her," he leaned forward thinking he might actually get this one. "Herbs? Garlic?" Rebekah was nodding her head like crazy, trying to encourage him to keep going. "Beef stew?"

She jumped up and down, giving him a huge smile. "Yes, beef. One point."

The timer ran out just then.

In lot of instances, Elijah was sure he would have been able to guess the word himself. Rebekah took a few seconds to think of a personal story for each of the clues instead of using clues any person would have been able to get. She really didn't want Stefan to use the buzzer so she avoided anything close to the actual word. She also spoke as quickly as possible. Klaus was not very good at guessing either.

It was Caroline's turn to give clues. She did the whole two fingers pointing at her eyes and then Elijah's eyes, telling him she was focused and they were going to do this. He was not amused.

"All of your handkerchiefs have this."

"Monogram."

"Yes! Your favorite cars are this."

"Black."

"Yes. This makes you want to gag."

"Pizza."

"Yes! Something people use with a long handle."

"Broom."

"Yes! Good one. Witches use these."

"Candles."

"Yes. A creature you admire."

"Leopard."

"Yes. It grows on the ground."

"Grass."

"Yes. The only kind of entertainment you like."

The buzzer went off before he could get, "opera," but they nailed it. Elijah only gave one word answers and reluctantly agreed to a high-five. The longest delays they had were in Caroline getting the next card and handing it off to Genevieve to use the buzzer.

Klaus just stared at them, slack jawed. They obviously knew each other pretty well. When did that happen? How did she know Elijah likes leopards? Why did he admire them? Wolves were obviously the right answer anyway. They had to have talked about these things. When?

"Seven for us." She smiled and sat down, giving Klaus a kiss on the cheek.

Stefan and Geneveive went again. Getting 6 this time around, improving with Geneveive giving really great clues.

It was time for Klaus to give the clues and Caroline could not wait to watch this. He was ultra competitive.

"A shape. It has four sides."

"Square."

"No. I stole one from the Queen once."

"Tiara?"

"That has four sides, Rebekah?!"

"Oh right. Hmm. Diamond?"

"Yes. Ok. A small living thing you wanted to own."

"A human?"

"No. Smaller."

"Hmm. I wanted a bunny at some point."

"Rebekah! Something bunny-size, but are more popular."

"A cat?"

"A miniature one."

"A kitten?"

"Yes. Another point. This person does a broadcast every day."

"Ryan Seacrest."

"Who is that? No. The first part is something used to weigh a ship."

The buzzer went off to everyone's relief.

"I have no idea what you were talking about," she said as he sat down next to her.

"Anchorman" was the word. Klaus was getting some veins popping in his forehead. Elijah thought it would be a good idea to finish this up before things got violent.

"Alright Elijah. It's down to you and me, bud." Elijah winced, not liking the term.

"You wanted to put this in the study, but it was tacky."

"Desk."

He nodded.

"I see no point in eating it."

"Lettuce."

He nodded.

"Item with which one ingests soup."

"Spoon."

He nodded.

"You insist on doing this when you see me."

"Hug." She smiled.

He nodded.

The timer went off. She quickly guessed the words, but he elegantly made his way to the deck of cards every time, slowing them down. She had to do it. She stood up and gave him a quick hug as he returned to his armchair.

They had to go around again as no team was at 15 points. Stefan and Genevieve started to really work well together.

Caroline sat on Klaus' lap, very cozy, while Stefan gave clues again. She whispered in his ear how much she loved him and the game was almost over. As soon as the buzzer went off on Stefan though, their team coming in 2 words short, he dumped her off his lap so he could focus on Rebekah. Her arms and legs went flying, but he was too intent to notice her flailing around. Stefan couldn't stop laughing.

Caroline learned more than she wanted to about Klaus' history from Rebekah's clues. She got a determined look in her eye after hearing about all the witches and other vampires he used to know and she continued to kill it with Elijah, winning easily in this round. Winning soothed her out of her slightly jealous mood.

After Genevieve had left, with Caroline warmly saying goodbye to her friend, the others dispersed. Klaus and Caroline went up to his bedroom. She smiled thinking it was really "their" bedroom when she saw all the little changes she had made. Adding a few photographs, including souvenirs from Italy, and changing the curtains made it more like her room as well. Plus she had her luggage with clothes strewn all over.

She hugged him from behind and he turned, bringing her into his embrace. He was too quiet.

"It's hard for me to let you go and say goodbye," he said. It had been on his mind. They'd spent an amazing time together in Italy and in the morning she had to leave.

"I know. It's hard for me to leave. I know I'm doing the right thing staying in school though. This is what my life would have been like as a human. I'm going with other people my age. I can go to school again as many times as I want, but it's one of those things I always knew I wanted for myself. It's an easier transition to go from Mystic Falls to Whitmore than right to New Orleans, you know."

He did know that. She was expanding her horizons and he loved seeing her take it all in and changing it in her wake. She grew up in small town America. She was putting her toe out and testing what was out there. He felt very lucky that he was there to see it with her.

She smiled up at him, not wanting to think about leaving quite yet. "It's only a little over a year to go. Isn't that a blink of an eye to you, grandpa?"

She squealed when he dove to nuzzle at her neck in retaliation for her teasing.

By the end of the night she panted out how gorgeous, sexy, and not too old for her he was. He nodded as if it were obvious she should say such things.

Dropping her off at the airport was always hard and she always cried when they parted. She even tried using regular, not waterproof, mascara as a deterrent, but it only gave her raccoon eyes. He was encouraging and positive with her even though it hurt.

"I'll see you soon, sweetheart. Don't cry. Study hard. I know you'll do well on that exam. Be safe. Call me when you land." He gave her a sweet kiss. "I love you."

She wanted to do this and he wasn't going to hold her back selfishly. It was one of the many things being in love taught him.

A long teary hug goodbye and she was off through security. He waited until he couldn't see or hear her any longer before he left and planned how long he had to wait before he raced up to see her again.

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Them saying goodbye was so sad. They'll be together again soon!

This isn't going to turn into a games series, but the idea of Elijah and Caroline knowing each other so well, more than the others knew, and him having very clear opinions about things was too good to pass up. I can't rule out another one with Team Vampire Barbie and the brothers Mikaelson as teams though one day.


	15. Chapter 15

Taking Care of the Other One 15

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters.

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Caroline was back in New Orleans for the summer. She got an internship working at a local theater, assisting the office staff during the day. It used her world class detail-oriented skills and she was getting school credit for it. Bonus!

After finals, Klaus picked Caroline up at school. They made a stop to drop things off at her mom's house, things like her unsold textbooks, winter clothes, etc. Her mom was a little sad Caroline wouldn't be spending more time in Mystic Falls, but she was proud she would be working. She would be coming home three weeks before the next semester began, so they could spend time together too. Liz also promised to visit New Orleans after all the raving Caroline had done.

She walked in after her day had ended to see Rebekah sitting in the study reading something.

"Whatcha reading?" she asked coming close to try to read over her shoulder, dropping her bag on the floor.

"Oh, nothing," Rebekah said quickly shutting something with slightly flushed cheeks, putting it down in front of her.

Caroline peeked and saw that it was one of her popular women's magazines.

"Rebekah. Which article was it?" Caroline gave her a look. She had an idea what Rebekah had been looking at. She felt the same way after reading it.

"Oh, the one about taking care of your body. Knowing the signs of a condition. That sort of thing." She was a terrible liar and Caroline was not going to let it go.

She made a face and pulled up a chair at the same desk, squeezing in next to her. She reached for the magazine and started to flip through the pages looking for the one she had read earlier. "What condition would you need to be worried about exactly Ms. Original?"

"Fine." she huffed and grabbed the magazine from Caroline's grip and quickly found the one she'd been looking at.

It was an article titled, 2_0 Sex Tips to Blow His Mind_.

"I've already read this. Some I've tried. Some seem pretty good and some are terrible. Have you done any of these?"

Rebekah bit her lip, a little unsure about having this conversation with Caroline also known as his brother's girlfriend, but they had gotten close. "I am a thousand years old, Caroline. I've probably forgotten more than other people will ever learn," she haughtily said.

"So none then is what you're saying?" Caroline teased and bumped her shoulder. Rebekah was so like her brother sometimes.

"Thankfully I haven't heard any of what you and Stefan have going on. I can't say that about everyone," she coughed thinking of someone else.

"It helps that he has his own place," Rebekah noted dryly.

Klaus noticed Caroline come in and made his way to see how her day went when he heard her talking to his sister. He could have picked up their conversation earlier, but he was distracted and Caroline told him it was "creepy", her term, not his, to listen to her throughout the house. That didn't stop always stop him, but he tried…sometimes.

"See this one with the hand twisting? He loves that." Caroline was intent on reading what it said again.

Rebekah made a sour face, but kept her eyes glued to the page. She really REALLY did not want to hear about what her brother liked in the bedroom, but maybe Stefan would like it if she tried that?

"Caroline! What are you talking about? Rebekah, you are to stay a virgin. No sex for you at least until I die."

"Very funny, Nik."

He looked over Caroline's shoulder to see what they were looking at.

She looked up at him under her lashes, "But don't you like when I do that?"

His eyes darkened and hers twinkled.

He bent his head to gently bite her earlobe and whispered, "You know I do." He placed a sucking kiss on her neck. Her hand automatically caught in his curls. He tried to back away, but she used her vampire strength to keep him there until he did it a few more times.

She was flushed and he was too.

Rebekah was not supposed to see this so up close and personal. "Use your own room," she yelled to break them up.

He then stood up. "Remember what I said, Rebekah."

She nodded, yeah right, and he left to use the phone.

"I have an idea."

"I bet you do after that little display," Rebekah gave her a look.

"Har Har. What if we each pick a few of these to do? Like a dare. We don't report back to each other what happened. I know thinking about Klaus bothers you, but Stefan is my best friend and it's pretty weird thinking of him that way too. If we agree though, we have to do them."

Rebekah cocked her head to the side and considered her. This could be another one of those modern human experiences she always wanted to experience, the dare thing, plus she did want to try a couple of these anyway.

She held out her hand and they shook on it. They had a week to try 3 different tips from the list and it was Monday.

Caroline of course did not tell Klaus about this, although traumatizing him about his sister and Stefan, well any guy, would be so much fun.

They didn't need to spice things up exactly, but it was always a challenge to see if she could throw him off kilter. He was so sure of himself in some things and knowing how much she wanted him was one of them. He said his lust for her was so obvious from the start that he felt it was only fair she felt the same way. She rolled her eyes of course. She could use these and maybe see if she could surprise him.

She went out to dinner with Klaus on Tuesday. It was a warm, humid night. It only felt cool enough to go out when the sun had gone down. The food was excellent, one of the perks of living here for the summer was the amazing restaurants everywhere, and they had a great time. It was casual and he made her laugh.

Time to try out Tip #1.

As they were walking back, she pulled him into a quiet convenience store. He followed her inside and waited while she browsed the selection.

"I want to get some gum," she nonchalantly. "I need some change."

She reached her hand into his front pocket, but she wasn't going for the money. She gently felt him up through the lining of his pants. He went up on his toes when she first did it in surprise. She suppressed a smile and ran her fingers over him as his erection began to stir. Then she grabbed a few dollar bills and left him standing there, aroused and completely unsure of what just happened. She bought some gum and left the store.

He followed a few moments later and whooshed her off to the mansion, not caring who saw him. He needed her right then. Her laughter trailed behind them.

After an excellent night with Klaus who was turned on by her boldness, she could check one off her list.

Both Rebekah and Caroline sported smug smiles the next morning at breakfast. Rebekah had just walked in and Caroline had just walked down the stairs. They nodded at each other, silently communicating that yeah, things were going well and the dare was still on.

Caroline thought Thursday was the best day to try Tip #2. This was one was pretty easy and something she always tried to do.

The tip was to be extremely confident, which was sexy in and of itself. She was going to try to take it to the next level and change things up a bit, go a little tougher than her usual to see what happened.

She kicked Klaus out of the house and told him to meet her at Rousseau's at 9 pm.

First step, clothes. Tight black jeans and a sleek black tank top. She really wished it wasn't too hot for a leather jacket, which just meant she'd have to try this again in the fall. Black stilettos boosted her up. Her daylight ring was her only accessory.

She spent a long time curling her hair to give it lots of extra volume and actual curls all around her head. It was huge and she loved it. Her makeup was a smoky eye and a nude lip. She usually went with red lipstick, but she really played up the contrast of her light eyes with the extra black eyeliner and tons of mascara she used.

Elijah saw her leaving and had to do a double take. She took that as a good sign.

She strutted her way into Rousseau's letting everyone know by her demeanor that she was not to be messed with. Her hips swung side to side with the music playing as she thought about how confident, strong, and sexy she was. She had to admit, this was kind of hot.

Her human annoyance was there of course. Caroline walked past her with her hand out, not looking at her, and not wanting to deal with Cami's nonsense tonight. Tonight was about feeling confident and getting her man.

She saw him standing at the other end of the bar, safely away from her shadow self. She made her way over and his eyes widened and then darkened. He liked this very much.

Clearly she had something in mind, so he waited for her to speak.

"Hello, Klaus," she reached up behind his neck and pulled him in for a fierce kiss. It was reminiscent of her first trip down actually.

When she was done, she pushed him back and took a seat at the bar.

Sitting down, she ordered bourbon from the bartender. She downed it when it came and asked for another.

"Hello, Caroline. You look bloody amazing." His eyes roamed her up and down as he sat next to her. She wasn't wearing anything particularly provocative, her tank did show some cleavage and the jeans were tight, but she was incredibly sexy walking through that door as if she owned the place. He felt like she did anyway.

She was his Queen of New Orleans.

If anyone knew how attractive power was too, it was Klaus Mikaelson.

He couldn't resist resting his hand on her thigh. She was usually the affectionate one with him, tucking her hand in his own or running her fingers through his hair. He felt the need to be the one touching her just then, letting her know how he craved the connection with her, craved this fierce woman by his side. He moved his hand to the back of her neck so she would look at him.

"I love you. When can we leave?"

"I haven't finished my drink," she smiled at him.

She was really looking forward to getting him back to their bed, but she wanted to stay a little longer. She even convinced him to play some pool with her. She used every cliche move to distract him. She bit her lip a lot. She would push her hair off of her shoulder, exposing her neck, telling him how hot she was. She bent low over the table so he could get a good look while lining up a shot. She dropped a few things so she'd had to bend way over to pick them up. She beat him too, which was fabulous. She was the better pool player even if she wasn't distracting him, but he was even worse that night.

A while later she gave him some mercy. She hooked her fingers into his necklaces and against his lips told him it was time to go home. He told her he'd been waiting hours for her to say so.

She couldn't resist holding her hand up to Cami again as they left. It just made her feel so good!

Her confidence extended to the bedroom. She told him what and how she wanted it. She told what felt good and what felt unbelievable. He obeyed her every wish and they both later agreed it was amazing.

Klaus asked her what had gotten into her, but she distracted him by throwing her leg over him and kissing his neck. Whatever it was, he liked it.

After the success of the first two tips, Caroline was ready for Tip #3. This one required a little more planning, because of their living situation. His siblings were there, so once she figured out their plans for being out of the house, she made her own. Saturday afternoon it was.

Klaus was in the study dealing with some paperwork. The room had a desk and a table. This is the room where Elijah wouldn't allow her to exchange the desk for the one she found, saying it was not appropriate for the decor. He did have great taste, so she just put it into Klaus' art studio where it wasn't in the way.

Klaus was seated at the head of the table with papers spread out all over. He looked very serious and didn't look up when she entered.

She was wearing a short purple dress and had already taken off her underwear before she stepped inside. She marched over and pushed his chair back, lifted his arm, and climbed onto his lap, straddling him.

"We have the house to ourselves for just a little while," she smiled and dove in for a kiss. His stubble rubbed her lips and chin as she rest her hands on his face.

"Well it would be a shame not to take advantage," he agreed when they paused for an unneeded breath.

He moved his hands up to her breasts, cupping them through the fabric. She ran her hands as best she could up and down his chest and then up to use her nails in his hair, never leaving his lips for more than a moment.

She swiveled her hips as best she could in this position, moving over his thighs and feeling his erection when her pussy was pushed up against him.

She got up, he growled at her leaving, and stood. She brought one of his hands up and under her dress, letting him feel how wet she was. Planning this and how it would happen, plus the urgency of doing this before someone returned, turned her on.

Pulling him up, she undid his belt, dragged it loose and tossed it aside. She unzipped him and pulled his hard cock out through the top of his boxers, pushing them and his jeans down just enough to free him. She licked her lips and he twitched seeing the movement. She ran her hand up and down his thickness. She couldn't resist and bent down to give his cock a few licks. She did the hand twisting thing that he loved and his head fell back. He groaned and moved his hand to the back of her head and that's when she stood up. He growled again at the interruption.

She boosted herself back onto the messy table and laid back, legs spread, and waited for him to fill the negative space. She lifted her arms up and over her head causing papers to fly all over.

He ran his fingers over her slippery pussy to be sure she was wet enough and he moved his cock to her tight, wet entrance. With one solid push, he was completely buried inside of her, holding onto her hips. She moved her arms to the sides of the table to hold on.

"Yes, Klaus. Like that," she encouraged him.

He withdrew and pushed into her again and again. More and more papers flew off the table with his thrusts. She felt them slipping and sliding underneath her. He pulled her hips back and forth along the smooth surface.

He wasn't going to last long. Her unexpected appearance, lack of underwear, and being able to do it in the middle of the day on the study table was too much for him to drag this out.

He moved one hand to her pussy and after collecting some of her juices he moved his fingers to rub at her clit. She squealed and tightened on him, causing him to move his fingers even faster. She held on tight to the table.

"Yes, Klaus. I'm going to come. Don't stop. Don't stop," she repeated over and over.

"That's it, Caroline. You're so gorgeous like this. Come on. Come for me."

His words, his cock, and his fingers gave her the orgasm she was chasing. Hard.

He came as soon as he felt the first flutters of her pussy, not able to hold on one second longer. He felt like it lasted forever. He never knew how she did this to him. Nothing was like this for him. Nothing.

He bent forward and rest his head on her chest, breathing hard. She cradled him to her and combed her fingers through his hair.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

While calming down, they heard the front door open. Elijah.

Caroline pushed his head up and sat up herself. She looked down at the chaos she created in the room and smiled. It was a disaster area.

"I'm going to go take a shower. After you clean this up, you can join me," she hopped off and started to leave.

He didn't see the smile on her face as she left the room. Tip #3 Try using a messy countertop or a table, was an amazing idea. It was even better when she didn't have to clean up.

"You have to tell me, sweetheart," he implored.

She turned to look at him over her shoulder at the entrance to the room. "It was that magazine."

"I'm buying you a subscription," he yelled down the hallway after her.

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First off, Happy Birthday Christina!

I hope this was the best birthday ever.

She is so encouraging about my writing. She is also hilarious.

Secondly, I have no idea where this came from. I had a completely different idea of what the next drabble would be like and it wasn't this, but I got asked about seeing Klaus uncomfortable with even the idea of Rebekah having sex and it completely morphed into this. Smut.

What do you guys think?


	16. Chapter 16

Taking Care of the Other One 16

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters.

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"Give me an hour and I'll meet you at The Grill," she leaned across the armrest and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

He admired her as she slipped from the big SUV, looking beautiful as always in her summer sundress. He pushed up his sunglasses and drove away.

Klaus was returning Caroline to Mystic Falls. Her summer break in New Orleans was over. The back of the SUV was filled with her things along with a bag of his. He was spending the weekend at his mansion there before returning to New Orleans while Caroline would spend the rest of her time before her senior year of college with her mother.

Caroline had some errands to run and he would deposit his bag and check in on the house before they had lunch and moved her things to her mother's house.

Caroline said goodbye to the postal worker, collected her stamps, and exited the post office. Her next stop was the bank. She needed quarters to do laundry when she was back at school. She was looking down, taking stamps off of her to-do list, when she heard her name called.

Tyler Lockwood came running across the street. Things were still strained between them, but it had been a few years since they broke up. They didn't see each other often, but she knew he was here or there, working with werewolf packs. She was proud of him actually. He had a vocation, working with the werewolves. They usually said "hello" and "see ya" but not much more.

"Hey Care, I thought that was you." He gave her a quick hug. "You look great."

"You too, Tyler." He did. He looked tan and healthy. It was unnerving to hear his heartbeat though.

"Where have you been? Matt and I threw a killer party last week." He smiled so easily.

"Oh, you know. My internship. Is Matt working today?" She tried changing the subject. She knew he would find out Klaus was with her soon enough, but she didn't want to rub it in his face.

"Tonight. He's hanging out by the pool right now. You should stop by. That is, if you're free."

Had it been an hour already? She could see Klaus parking the car down the street.

"Maybe later this week I'll grab Elena and we can all do something." She didn't want Tyler getting ideas, but if he was willing to be friendly she would too, going in a group seemed like the best idea.

He smiled.

He hugged her again. "I missed you."

"Bye, Tyler." She gently pushed him away and smiled. He crossed the street and got into his Jeep.

She walked into the bank, knowing you know who would arrive in a few minutes.

She went about her business, getting the rolls of quarters, and crossed it off her list. He was waiting for her outside, looking handsome.

She gave him a sunny smile and grabbed his hand.

"Hungry?" she asked as they walked towards the restaurant. She couldn't see his eyes behind the sunglasses.

"What did he want?"

She sighed.

"To say hello."

Klaus didn't say a word until he pulled her to a stop a few buildings away from the restaurant.

"Are you going to see him again?"

"Maybe. He lives here and technically, I do too, at least a while longer. He lives with Matt who is still my friend," she tried to point out.

He dropped her hand, not liking her answer, clasping his hands behind his back.

"What was the bit about going over there with Elena?" he bit out.

"If you heard me, why did you ask? I was being polite, Klaus. I don't have any plans to do more than have lunch with you, get prepared for school, and spend time with my mom. Is that allowed?"

"Yes." Oh she wanted to hit him. Her bag was really heavy with the quarters too. "I don't want you around him."

"I don't want you to tell me what to do," she put her hands on her hips.

"Does he know where you've been all summer? With me?" he asked coolly, feeling the jealously overwhelm him.

"I didn't say anything. It's none of his business."

"So, no."

"I don't know if Matt, my mom, or anyone has said anything to him. Hey," she reached up one hand to his cheek. "Does it matter what Tyler Lockwood knows or thinks?"

Unfortunately for Klaus, it did. He broke away.

"It does if you aren't willing to tell him. Are you ashamed of me?" His mouth tightened while he waited for her to answer.

"What? Ashamed to be with you? No. Ashamed you killed his mother? Yes. This isn't the place for this conversation."

They were starting to get some attention. She knew they weren't going out to lunch at this point. She turned for the car and once again waited for him to catch up and unlock the doors.

His anger mounted. Right after she said she wasn't ashamed to be with him, she wanted to leave so people couldn't see them out in public. He seethed in silence as he drove to his home. He didn't want to think about what she said about Carol Lockwood and how that made him feel.

Why didn't she set the record straight with the pup? Was she being diplomatic or hiding him?

How dare she? He was Klaus Mikaelson, Original Hybrid. She should be proud to be with someone as powerful as him. Why would she care what any little peasant in Mystic Falls thought?

As soon as the car was parked, he whooshed inside, getting a drink. She left her purse in the car and followed more slowly.

"Get it all out," she spread her arms out wide as she saw him pretending to be lazily enjoying the drink.

"Caroline, we've been together almost two years now and yet your ex-boyfriend may not know and is telling you he missed you while he had his hands all over you. Care to tell me why that is and why I shouldn't be upset?" The glass shattered in his hand.

Why did he always pick the worst interpretation of things?

"Don't break things."

"Don't tell me what I can and cannot do," he roared.

"I can't talk to you while you're like this," she turned to walk away.

He whooshed in front of her.

"You know I hate when you turn your back on me."

"I hate when you have a temper tantrum. Deal with it," she narrowed her eyes and pushed past him.

"Don't walk away from me."

"Go outside. Knock down a few trees. When you're ready to talk, I'll be here."

She learned a while ago that if he only saw red, it was hard to get through to him and she felt she was wasting her time if he actually couldn't hear her. She didn't do anything wrong with Tyler. On one hand she hurt Klaus by not telling Tyler about him and being clear about their relationship. On the other hand, Klaus killed his mother and Klaus was no longer in his life. Ugh. This was complicated, but she still thought she did the right thing.

She heard the back door slam, letting her know he was probably going into the woods as she suggested, likely turning into his wolf form. She didn't feel like eating anymore, but poured herself a glass of wine and sat down on the back steps, wanting to see him when he returned.

She was on her second glass of wine, sipping slowly, when she heard him make his way back. He was sweaty, but his clothes were in ok shape, so he did transform.

He was slightly appeased to see her there, but he was still upset. He reached for her glass and took a swallow before returning it to her and standing out in the yard as she eyed him.

"Feel better?" she asked, wanting to see how much he had calmed and if she could get through his thick skull that she was with him because she loved him. Tyler was the past.

"Why wouldn't I be fine? I am the Original Hybrid. I've been around a thousand years. I've seen it all. I've seen empires fall apart thousands of times," he swung his arms wide.

Placing her glass down, she stood up and poked him in the chest.

"This relationship is not going to fall apart, especially not because of Tyler." He flinched when she said his name, but she continued. "I'm not with Tyler. I'm with you. I love you." Her hand rose to his cheek like earlier to get his attention. "What would you do without me anyway?"

It was exactly the wrong thing to say.

He backed away from her, enraged all over again.

"Are you trying to say I need you more than you need me? Don't you think I know that?" He roared, arms flying. He started to pace.

Whoa. She waved her hands to make sense of what he said.

"Hold up. What are you talking about? I was kidding."

"I'm not," he growled. "How many times did you tell Matt and Tyler you loved them? Did you mean it? You're a mere twenty years old, Caroline. I'm over a thousand. You've had more love in twenty years that I ever have."

"Stop." She had to stop the words coming out of his mouth coming at her like knives. "Stop. Do you think I'm fickle and that you'll be the next ex-boyfriend I greet outside the post office? Or are you jealous of him?"

"Do I have to choose?"

She glared at him.

He sighed.

"Caroline, seeing you with him drives me crazy. He's your past. Your first love. I'm afraid you would be able to move on without me when I will never be the same without you."

"So you think you need me more than I need you and you love me more than I love you. That's complete crap, Klaus." The poor idiot had no idea what he was talking about.

She ran her fingers through her hair. She knew he needed reassurance, but seeing her with Tyler pushed him to the next level of crazy.

"You know what? It's also freaking insulting," she shouted as she turned to look back at him. "Ask me if I'd change anything about the past two years."

He didn't know if he wanted her to answer this question. It wasn't as if they were immune to fights, but these were the best years of his life. What if she had regrets about what they had?

"Would you?"

"Yes."

His eyes became shuttered and she had to get in front of him to stop him from leaving.

"I would change the fact that you don't think I love you as much as you love me. That hurts, Klaus. It hurts me that you feel that way. I can never catch up on those first thousand years and yes, I'm young, but I'm not stupid or incapable of real love. Yes, I loved before, but that's why I know how special this is, you ass," she smacked him on the chest.

He pulled her close and grinned, feeling the tightness in his chest ease for the first time since he saw her with Tyler.

"You know fighting with you turns me on," he said pulling her hips to his so she could feel the proof. He tried to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and she practically did a backbend to get away.

"Nope, this isn't one of those passionate fights turns into passionate lovemaking we're so good at," she smiled to ease her words as she put space between them, but she held onto his hands.

"Let me get this out, because you need to hear it. I. Love. You. Only you. Forever you. My love for you is not fading. It's growing. I love my mother and my friends, but they aren't my partner, Klaus. No one else makes me want to take care and comfort them, even when you don't need taking care of. No one else makes me laugh like you do. No one else encourages me to find my place in the world like you do. No one terrifies me that something will happen like you do, well other than my mom." She smiled. "No one else will always come when I call like you do. No one else makes my dead heart race and my breath catch with a single look like you do. No one else makes my head spin and my throat tighten with their beautiful words like you do. No one else makes me want to ease their burdens like you do. No one else has me convinced I am right where I need to be like you do."

She couldn't help the tears that started to fall when she bared her heart.

"You've said before we're similar and we are. You're scared my love for you will fade. I get those fears too, Klaus. After a thousand years and I'm the one? Every time I think that way though, I remember all of our times together and I have to call or see you. You don't wonder why I call at three am every once in a while when I'm at school? I need to hear your voice. You don't wonder why I'll practically crawl on top of you when you're asleep, because being by your side isn't enough. Then I see or touch you and everything is ok."

She paused to catch her breath.

"I love you, Klaus, with everything I have and I need you just as much as you need me."

He opened his arms and she pushed her face into his chest, crying into his shirt, trying to compose herself.

"I know, Caroline. I know. I waited a thousand years for you."

She took some deep breaths and looked up at him, holding tightly to his waist.

"Will you give up on me?" she asked.

"Never," he vowed, tracing the falling tears with his thumbs.

"I know. I will never give up on you either. I'm in this for the long haul, Nik. You're stuck with me."

She finally let him hold her as he wanted to.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for doubting you. I'm an idiot," he whispered into her hair. He felt her nod against his skin.

"I'm sorry too," she whispered back into his neck.

She stood up straight and wiped away the last tears, feeling exhausted.

"I need some more wine and some ice cream. Maybe after that we can go make out in front of the post office so all of Mystic Falls can see. Will that make you feel better?"

"Yes."

She laughed, he wasn't kidding, and he smiled as they made their way back inside.

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A little angst with a happy ending up in here. A few drabbles ago (Chapter 9,) I did one where he comforted her and I wanted to do one where she comforted him and this is what happened. I only had a few tears on this one compared to that sob fest.

The next one will be back to the goofy stuff.

What do you guys think?


	17. Chapter 17

Taking Care of the Other One 17

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters.

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She was magnificent. She owned the stage. She embodied the bitterness, the rage, and the madness. She brought out the complexities of the role and elevated the entire performance. At least Klaus thought so anyway.

Caroline was starring in a college production of Medea, playing the title role of course. Klaus knew a little something about revenge and the killing of innocents, but he was merely enjoying Caroline's acting.

Not willing to have Caroline go through another performance without her family or friends in the audience, Klaus made sure things went differently this time.

He put some consideration into his methods. He flew up from New Orleans with Stefan. While he was amused by the friendship Caroline had with his brother, he didn't want them talking about drama all night. Stefan was quiet, one of Caroline's best friends, and by taking him from New Orleans he would be keeping Stefan away from Rebekah for a little while. All positives in Klaus' book.

He also contacted her mother to encourage her to attend, which didn't require a lot of effort. Their phone conversation was awkward, as always, but both agreed this was important for Caroline.

Elena he relentlessly called with reminders. She was not a fan of his tactics, twenty phone calls was enough, but considering his past, she thought this was him being positively tame. He didn't even threaten to kill her once, but he was sure to drop Jeremy's name in most of their conversations.

Klaus looked over at the merry band of misfits to his right. There they were all in a row. Stefan, Elena, and Liz. During moments when he thought they should be applauding louder for her, he gave them glares. He was also the one who led the applause when the show was over.

The theater department arranged for an after party for the actors and guests in a large room adjoining the theater. There was a bar and the room was packed and lively.

Caroline was full of adrenaline and endorphins after the show. The show was a success and she'd already gotten some compliments from her fellow cast members. She returned the favor as well. The actor playing Jason did a great job. Changing out of her costume and taking off the stage makeup, she got ready to greet her family and friends.

"Well done, sweetheart. You were amazing," Klaus whispered as he held her close.

"Klaus, let me get in there," Liz called after Klaus kept Caroline to himself for too long.

He glared at Liz over Caroline's shoulder, finally releasing her, after Caroline pushed him away with a laugh.

Klaus loved seeing her get the praise he thought she deserved.

Liz couldn't stay, Mystic Falls always had issues, but she got to see the performance and was so proud of her daughter. Caroline thanked her and hugged her tightly before she left.

"You were great, Care," Elena stepped up and gave her roommate a hug.

"You really were, Caroline. Elijah and Rebekah would have loved it," Stefan shot Klaus a look before giving her a hug as well. A quirked brow was the only response.

Klaus felt no shame for not including them. He would obtain a video of the show, as he did before, so they could watch. He didn't want his siblings not to praise Caroline, but he wanted his time with her first.

"Thanks, guys. I love you," Caroline was having an amazing night. "Ooh, I see some people I want to say hi to over there," she waved to them. "Have fun, mingle, and I'll be back."

As soon as Klaus turned around he was left alone. Elena was introducing Stefan to some of her friends on the other side of the room.

One of the other reasons Klaus brought Stefan was because Stefan would get Elena out of Caroline's dorm room for the night. Stefan and Elena were headed back to Mystic Falls, giving the couple some privacy.

Caroline kept an eye on him as she worked the room. How could she not? When he was charming and sweet he could win over a crowd. She hadn't really introduced him to anyone either. She felt a little guilty, but people kept calling to her.

Making small talk with a bunch of humans wasn't his idea of a good time. He was able to meet with the director, who praised Caroline to an appropriate degree. He didn't go overboard which would make Klaus suspicious, but he did compliment her on her work. He also was able to meet some of the drama department professors and they also complimented Caroline's performance. He didn't even have to think about compulsion. Caroline would be so proud of him.

After doing this for a while, he reached his human limit and excused himself.

He saw her across the room, discussing the drama department's next production with another professor. He didn't blame them from wanting to be around her, but he thought it was his turn. The least he could do was try to win her attention back his way.

She didn't quite have her back to him and he saw most of the left side of her as she talked. He admired how beautiful she looked against the backdrop of the room's windows. Her hair was a sharp contrast against the dark night outside. Her simple little black dress was tasteful and classic. She looked like a queen.

Holding a glass of wine in front of his mouth so people wouldn't notice what he was doing, he called to her, almost singing it, "Caroline."

The humans wouldn't be able to hear him unless they were standing right there, but she heard him clearly. She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled before facing the man in front of her again.

"Caroline. How much longer will your presence be required?" he continued.

No response.

"Caroline. Caroline."

Nothing.

"Caroline, is that a spider crawling up your leg?"

Her hand immediately shot out to brush her the back of her right leg. She could swear she felt something and spiders really creeped her out, despite being a vampire able to kill most other creatures without breaking a sweat, including a tiny spider.

"Your other leg."

Caroline would probably kill him, but what a way to go. He couldn't resist.

She brushed against the back of her left leg too, trying to not look like an idiot in front of her professor. She agreed with him that a production of Romeo and Juliet would not be exciting. Since it was her senior year, she wanted a better choice in case she wanted to go out for the female lead again.

"Good form, love. It would be too cliche as well. You know I would have compelled Romeo not to kiss you. That would be awkward," Klaus added with faux sympathy.

Not turning around she waved her hand out, trying to shush him, moving so her back was fully to him.

He hid his smile behind his glass.

"Caroline. They don't even have a good bourbon selection. Is it time to leave?"

She madly waved her arm again. He was so distracting and he knew it. She could mostly ignore all the noise in the room, it was something she learned early on, but she was attuned to his voice.

"Are you alright, Caroline?" the professor asked.

"Yes. I'm sorry. There's an annoying little gnat buzzing in my ear. You were saying," she encouraged him while she bit her lip to keep from smiling. Klaus was going to love that.

"Caroline. I'm offended."

She let out a huff. Yeah, right.

A moment later he was joined by a pair of beautiful young students. He had heard them talking about him earlier and it seemed as though they had worked up enough courage to come and flirt with him. He turned on the charm, used his dimples perfectly, and they fell in love.

Soon a group of two turned into a group of six ladies once the first two weren't immediately rejected. This was the kind of attention he could get used to, despite the lack of engaging conversation. He wasn't interested in them, but having them fawn all over him beat waiting to escape.

By the time she finished her conversation with the professor, she knew he was speaking versus sulking or well, killing someone. She could hear his voice, but she wasn't really paying attention to his words once he stopped trying to drive her crazy.

"Here," Stefan handed her a drink, which she appreciatively took. Elena was with him and both looked like they had enjoyed themselves.

"Are you going to rescue him?" he asked, tipping his head towards Klaus and the crowd around him.

"Nope." She turned to see him and listened in to the inane conversation. Her eyes narrowed once she realized that there were only women around him, getting very close, and some a little too touchy-feely.

She made small talk with Stefan, asking about Rebekah, Genevieve, and New Orleans, but kept her eyes on Klaus the entire time. He did not return her gaze, too busy showing off. Stefan was trying to explain to Elena how great the city was and she should go for a visit and see what they had been talking about for so long now. Caroline started to lose track of the conversation with her friends.

She could only take so much, especially when one of the girls became a little too aggressive for her liking.

Making sure her voice carried to him, "Her name is Tammy. You know what name that rhymes with. If she touches your arm one more time, I will cut your favorite appendage off while you sleep."

Elena and Stefan burst out in laughter at Caroline's threat and how Klaus' face went pale.

They had noticed how she was glued to the scene with Klaus and only Caroline Forbes could get away with saying something like that to Niklaus Mikaelson. Stefan knew Rebekah would get a kick out of this and sent her a quick text.

"Excuse me, ladies. I believe my girlfriend is calling me. Did you see her performance? Incredible." He deftly escaped before any further physical contact was made.

She merely raised a brow once he got close. He wrapped his hands around the nape of her neck. Lowering his lips to her own, their lips met. His tongue flicked out to gain entrance and he gave her a sexy, but brief kiss.

"It's your favorite appendage too," he said under his breath right into her ear. Facing her again he said, "I love you. Can we go now?"

She couldn't resist his smile.

"Yeah, Care. I think the party is breaking up. We should probably hit the road," Elena agreed.

"Do you have to?" Caroline whined. This was an amazing night and she didn't want it to be over.

"Yes," all three responded at the same time.

"Seriously?"

She reluctantly agreed to let Stefan and Elena go. They made plans to have brunch together the next day.

Caroline introduced Klaus to a few of the people remaining and they said their goodbyes.

The campus was relatively quiet as they walked to her dorm. They could hear some parties going on. It wasn't very late and she enjoyed their stroll. It was a beautiful night.

She could see one of the girls who lived on her floor catch sight of them and race inside. They were still pretty far away though, so Caroline wasn't sure why she left in such a hurry. She turned around, but didn't notice anything going on behind her.

Caroline could hear a faint, "He's here!" being shouted in the building.

Putting it together a moment later, there was a mixture of embarrassment and pride.

"What does that mean?" he asked when he heard the shout and looked down at her face.

"If anyone doesn't need this kind of attention, it's you, but they're actually talking about you," she said sheepishly.

"Should I be worried?"

"Only if you're afraid of what a group of college girls will do to you. Are you?" she asked with a grin.

"There are only a handful of things that terrify me more and all of those have the ability to kill me."

She smiled as his discomfiture.

"You know how the girls on my floor are intimidated by you. They take sneak peeks when they think you don't notice them. They're becoming a little bit obsessed." She played it off like it was no big deal.

"They know you as my handsome British boyfriend, doting on me whenever you come for a visit." She smiled, because that was what he was to them. They had no idea of his status as a hybrid, his self-imposed title as king of New Orleans, or that he was very, very dangerous. "They knew you were coming to the play tonight since they asked. There might have been a countdown written on a whiteboard in a hallway. It sounds like they're going to be waiting for you in there. You, Klaus, are a bit of a Whitmore celebrity."

She laughed as he flushed. He was thrown for a minute, until he puffed his chest out and decided he could deal with this.

Stepping inside, they could hear the murmurs throughout the building. He made sure to smile and nod his head in acknowledgement of everyone in the halls, although he kept his arm around Caroline's waist. He didn't want them thinking he was available.

Caroline was amused. Everyone tried to be nonchalant, but more doors were open and more girls were fully dressed than usual. A typical Friday night would have some of them already in pajamas having a movie marathon. Not tonight though. The ones who were there were all out to at least get a look if they heard the buzz. She bet some of them weren't even interested, but it seemed to be the thing to do that night in the dorm.

The girls didn't push, unlike the ones at the party earlier, and this was her senior year. She wouldn't be there much longer and Klaus really didn't spend a lot of time in her dorm. She was more often in New Orleans and if anything, they would make the drive to his Mystic Falls home to get some privacy that a room at Whitmore couldn't provide, so it was usually a quick stop.

She made sure to say hi to the women she knew, reminding them of her presence. She also had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at what she heard behind closed doors. Once they passed, the doors were closed, girls moved on, and things went back to normal, which was a relief.

Closing and locking the door behind them once finally inside, "If only they knew," she sighed.

"If only they knew what a powerful, experienced, sexy, and hopelessly in love man I am, you mean?" he questioned as he reeled her into his embrace.

"Exactly," she smiled up into his kiss.

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I hadn't done a lot with them at Whitmore and I bet a guy like Klaus would get a lot of attention hanging around with Caroline, especially if they really knew nothing about him.

What do you guys think? I love reading all the reviews.

I also wanted to mention that I do see all of the Katherine love in the reviews. I see you guys. I'm not sure if/when/how she might be included, but I see how popular she is. (Sorry to sound like JP there for a minute.)


	18. Chapter 18

Taking Care of the Other One 18

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of these characters.

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"Do you think I could ever become a pop star?" Caroline asked as she wrapped the towel tighter around her chest.

She had been thinking about it while she showered. If she were going to live for several lifetimes, would it be possible to be famous in any of them or she should keep a low profile?

Klaus looked up from the sketch pad he had been working on. After focusing on her face so often in his works, he was now adding her into different landscapes. It inspired him, putting her in various places around the world. He could then compare it to the reality when they did visit.

She looked stunning there in the towel. Her skin was flawless. Her wet hair was tucked up in another towel, turban-style. She smelled delicious.

"What do you mean?"

"Could I become a famous singer? Selling millions of records?" she asked as she moisturized her legs, propping them up on an ottoman one at a time.

"Can you sing?" he smirked, watching her hands slowly work their way up and down her legs.

"Yes, I can." She threw a pillow at him. "I'll have you know I serenaded Matt Donovan at the Mystic Grill. Everyone loved it," she smugly concluded. She stood up straight and began moisturizing her arms.

He growled, not liking that he hadn't been serenaded by her. He'd heard her sing of course. He'd just heard her in the shower moments ago, but it wasn't dedicated to him.

"That would be a nice anniversary gift, you know. If you sang to me." He thought it was a fine idea. No one else could give him such a thing.

They'd agreed to keep their 2 year anniversary celebration simple. Caroline didn't have the time to go off on a trip right then, so they planned a week in the Caribbean over her January break, but in the meantime, they were spending time at the Mikaelson mansion in Mystic Falls.

"I'll think about it." She smiled at him. "Would getting famous be a detriment with all of the pictures and digital recordings? Won't people notice I look exactly like someone else who had been famous 200 years ago?"

"I see. Well, up until mass and social media, I was able to move in some pretty famous circles, but I have kept a bit of a lower profile since then."

"Oh yes, your friends Magellan and Elvis, right?" She wouldn't let him live that down.

She slipped on some of his clean cotton boxers and a tank top. He didn't think she ever needed to wear clothes around him, but she said she felt more comfortable wearing something when they weren't in bed. He had taken up the habit of turning up the temperature so she wouldn't have to wear a lot of clothes around the house. He thought he was being clever, but she was onto his game.

"Right you are, sweetheart. I think if you want to become famous and experience it, you should. We'll figure out a way."

"Just think. I'll be a famous pop diva and you could be my bodyguard. The tabloids would wonder if we're having a scandalous affair. The answer would be yes, of course. The more scandalous, the better. Think about the ear piece you could wear, Klaus." She spread her hands wide, setting the scene for him.

He rolled his eyes, not as excited about wearing an ear piece as she was. Who exactly would he be talking to on it any way?

"I do love to sing, but drama is my major. What if I'm a famous award-winning actress? You could be my bodyguard in that scenario too."

"Why am I always sidelined to being the bodyguard, exactly?" He cocked his head to the side as she freed her hair from the towel.

She moved to sit on the couch in the bedroom's sitting area.

"Seriously? We all know who has the talent in this relationship. Anyway, you're obsessed with my protection and you'd be with me 24/7. How is that any different from what you'd prefer to be like every day? Don't you want to guard my body?" she asked as she started to brush out her hair. "I know it's not king of New Orleans, but think how much fun it could be."

He made a noncommittal sound.

Putting the pad down, he gave her a kiss on the cheek and sat down next to her as she continued to brush her hair.

They were going to have a movie marathon. They each made one selection and if they wanted to keep going, the third had to be a joint decision.

They loved going to the movies together, but wanted a quiet night in.

At the movie theater, when Klaus picked a movie, it usually had a lot of gore. To rile her up, he would tell her that some of the action didn't look like the reality. He would know what ripping a head off looked like for example. He would admit, it didn't usually go over well. If the film was based on real events, he would loudly complain about any inaccuracies. During those, she would threaten to move three seats away like she did so many years ago.

When Caroline picked a movie, his eyes would often glaze over, although he did really like when she reacted to what she saw on screen. If it was romantic, she would have a warm look in her eyes and have her hand on his knee. If it was funny, he got to hear her contagious laughter. If it was sad, she would get weepy and he could comfort her. If it was scary, she would bury her face in his shoulder until it was over, while he practically cackled.

The last time they made it to a theater it was packed. They couldn't find two seats together. They were separated by a group of 4 teenagers, more interested in their phones than the movie. Klaus was completely obnoxious, speaking loudly to get Caroline to pass the popcorn, did she want to see the movie just shown in the previews, etc. They finally gave up and asked him if he wanted them to move down so he could sit near Caroline. He was about five seconds from compelling the closest girl to him, so it all worked out. He quirked a brow at her, wanting her to be impressed. She told him he did great and he beamed.

Making out in the back of a darkened movie theater was a new experience she introduced him to. He'd rather do it someplace private where they could continue, but it wasn't bad. The first time he tried the 'yawn turning into an arm around her shoulder move' she merely rolled her eyes. He was pretty proud at how smooth he was.

Klaus put the DVD into the player as Caroline finished with her hair, letting it air dry. When he returned to his seat, she sat back against the arm of the sofa, resting her feet in his lap. He laid his hands on top of them and rubbed her smooth shins.

Ladies first, so Caroline chose a total chick flick. If she had the chance to watch one of her favorite movies all over again and with him, she would. Elle Woods was a favorite character of hers. Caroline wasn't as bubbly or flighty as Elle appeared, but she could understand feeling underestimated due to her looks. The handsome guy, Warner, looked a lot like Alaric too.

She laughed and oohed and aahed as Elle won the final case and became valedictorian of her Harvard Law School class.

Klaus thought it was ok, but if he never saw it again, that would be just fine.

Moving her legs aside, he got up to turn the DVD player off and Netflix on. There was a documentary about a street artist he was interesting in seeing. Since it was their anniversary, he decided laying off the blood and gore was a good idea. As her hair was mostly dry and she was getting sleepy, she laid down with her head in Klaus' lap. He stroked her hair gently. He was engrossed and appreciated what the reviews had been talking about regarding the documentary. He was thinking of adding some of the artist's work to his collection.

"Do you want to watch another one or go to bed?" he asked her.

She turned her head to look up at him from her position on his lap. "I don't think I could stay awake for another one, but I liked that one, Nik. Good choice," she commended him.

He fussed with the remotes to turn everything off while she laid still, not ready to move. He easily lifted her up into his arms and then threw her over his shoulder. She smacked his butt, laughing. She was certainly more awake now than she had been. He kept his hand on her ass until he gently laid her on the bed.

She scooted over and laid on her side watching him while he climbed up. He had been dressed for bed, solely wearing some cotton pajama bottoms. He had showered with her, but she kicked him out to shave her legs. His hair had dried into adorable curls. He laid on his side facing her.

She couldn't resist reaching out to touch his stubbled cheeks. Her fingers couldn't stay away from where his dimples came out. She caught herself doing it all the time.

Spending time with him when they were both in bed, not quite ready to sleep, held some of her fondest memories. There would be quiet conversation in the dimly lit room. She would ask him about his history and he would ask her about what she wanted for her future.

"Tell me something no one else knows."

"I don't have a middle name," he revealed after a minute of thinking.

"Really? I hadn't thought about it. Was it because middle names weren't common when you were born?" Her hand moved up to stroke the back of his neck.

"Exactly. Tell me something no one else knows."

"In the eighth grade, I was really mad at Elena for something and I wrote her phone number in the boy's bathroom. It was one of those 'For a good time call' things. I never told her it was me," she bit her lip, embarrassed. It wasn't one of her proudest moments. A lot of her junior and high school years had some moments she'd rather not think about, but she was a new person and very proud of what she'd accomplished and how she'd grown up and out of her insecurities.

He laughed. "I think she'd get over it if she knew."

"Eight grade girls can be vicious, but you're right. I should tell her. I wonder if she'd laugh though."

She smiled, thinking she'd probably end up blurting it out now that the memory had come back to her.

"What's it like when you're a wolf?" She had asked Tyler this, but Klaus was completely different.

"Ahh," he mused. "It's thrilling to be in a primitive state. I'm generally aware of what's going on around me, but animal instincts are pushing me. I feel dangerous and completely free. It's exhilarating to be honest."

She caught sight of the clock over his shoulder. It was almost midnight and almost their anniversary.

She put together a little basket of gifts for him. It wasn't expensive, but she thought he would like it. She included a Whitmore T-shirt. She could not picture him in one at all, but because the image made her laugh she included it. She also found a blue Henley that perfectly matched his eyes. A framed picture of them dancing together at his birthday party was the main gift. Finally, she included some homemade brownies. She wasn't much of a baker and really was too busy, but he had a sweet tooth. She knew he could smell them already, but he didn't give away the surprise. Since he mentioned it, she would sing something for him as well.

He bought her a simple sterling silver necklace with their initials "K" and "C" intertwined. He noticed the less extravagant the gift, the better it was received. She didn't mind getting spoiled on occasion, but the smaller necklace was balanced against the larger beach vacation they would be taking anyway.

"Since it's our two year anniversary, what is your favorite memory of this past year together?" She was curious.

His eyes got that twinkle and he started to smile.

She immediately moved her fingers to cover his lips. "Do not say what we did earlier in the shower. Be serious," she grinned to lighten her words, but she couldn't give him an inch.

"I'm offended that you thought I would disgrace our anniversary in such a way."

Uh huh. Right.

"We've had a fantastic year together. There have been a lot of great moments. I'll go with my second favorite memory first, since it deserves a special mention. Our trip to Italy. Seeing your excitement and watching you catch the travel bug. I knew it. We're the same, Caroline." He paused. "My favorite memory of this past year though would be when I came to Whitmore and you told me you loved me for the first time."

He gave her the sweetest smile and her eyes got a little watery thinking about it. She leaned in for a kiss.

"That was special. Do you want to know mine?" She continued after he nodded, "Since I don't want to take yours, even though it was probably my favorite too, it was your birthday party. It's hard to give someone who has been around multiple lifetimes a new experience to show how much they're appreciated and loved. I loved being able to do that for you. It was perfect."

He pulled her hand from the back of his neck to press a kiss to her palm and then moved it over his heart.

She sighed. He could be the sweetest most romantic man ever when they were together.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"Where do you think we'll be in five years?" she asked.

"On a beach in Tahiti. I'll be soaking in the sun. You'll be frolicking in the waves. Topless, if I have my way."

Figures.

"What about in fifty years?"

"We'll be having a discreet and sexy dinner at one of Manhattan's premier restaurants. You'll be dressed in blood red."

"What about in one hundred years?"

"In New Orleans, with Stefan, Rebekah, Elijah, and maybe even Elena if you invite her. We'll be having a huge bash. Lots of alcohol and music."

"What about in two hundred years?"

"Easy. I'll be watching your concert from the sidelines, _with an earpiece_," he made sure to emphasize it for her, "while you sing a song you secretly dedicated to me."

She laughed, loving his ideas about their future, and how it would include her pop star dream. She made sure to remember what he said to write it down later. She bet they would all come true and maybe it would make a nice gift, a scrapbook of all of their anniversaries compared to what he said it would be like.

She leaned in for a kiss which led to them making love to celebrate their love for one another.

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No real plot, but a quiet anniversary.

All of the reviews have been very nice, but the last chapter only had 3. That's less than 1% of the people who visited the page. I know not everyone will review or review every time. Not every chapter warrants comments. I get that, but 99% is a little rough.

It's hard to stay motivated to update or update quickly without any feedback, so if you have some comments, let me know. I'm not sure I could accommodate every prompt, but if you have ideas, let me know that too.

Thanks!


	19. Chapter 19

Taking Care of the Other One 19

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.

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They gathered by the door before they went out.

"Elijah," she called to him as Klaus helped her into her coat. "Are you sure you don't want to join us? We can get you a ticket."

She reached back and freed her hair from under the jacket's collar.

"I'm afraid I will have to decline this evening, Caroline. Enjoy yourselves," he nodded to them as he left the foyer.

Caroline had planned the evening's entertainment for herself, Klaus, Rebekah, and Stefan. The last two had finally given in and were in a committed relationship. She had to admit Rebekah never looked happier and Stefan was less broody than ever. She was happy for them both.

They were going to a professional basketball game in New Orleans. Caroline thought it was shameful Klaus had not gone before. He latched on to Stefan like a drowning man, so it turned into a bit of a double date.

Caroline had to admit seeing Elijah in his suit at a game would have been great. Maybe if his brother and sister had a good time, she could talk him into it.

She was in New Orleans for her Thanksgiving break, spending it with the Mikaelsons and Stefan again this year.

Klaus drove them over to the arena, finding some close, but expensive parking for his Range Rover. Caroline told them it was traditional to get some beer and snacks before the game began. The area bars were packed full of people. Klaus mentioned all the humans to Rebekah, noting he'd have to check out the crowds on game days when he was feeling peckish and wanted to leave the French Quarter.

Caroline hadn't actually been to a professional game before, but she was actually a basketball fan. All those years of cheerleading gave her a love of the sport that she didn't feel with something like baseball. It would be taking advantage of something New Orleans had that Mystic Falls did not and Klaus should really be seeing the entire city if he was the so-called king.

They found a small table in one of the less crowded dives. Caroline brought them a pitcher of beer along with four plastic cups she got at the bar.

"Do you honestly expect me to drink that?" Klaus asked with a face.

"Klaus, this isn't the type of place where you want to try the bourbon or scotch," Stefan mused.

"I know you've had beer before. You always want me to try new things. The least you can do it just give in tonight. Grin and bear it, Nik," she requested.

He reluctantly agreed to have one cup to show he wasn't too prissy and Caroline grinned at him. He tried to disguise his reaction to the taste, but she was watching him closely and laughed. "Keep drinking and you won't even notice it," she advised.

Caroline and Rebekah took off their jackets as it was quite warm inside. Caroline had on a white V-neck T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. The guys were in their usual clothing choices.

"Rebekah, you look like a native," Caroline approved. Rebekah wore a T-shirt with the local team's logo on it. She did always want to fit in and that she did with the pre-game crowd. She even got a few nods and admiring looks from the tables around them.

"Stefan got it for me, because I wasn't sure what to wear," she admitted. She bumped his hip with her own, causing some of his beer to slosh over the side. She smiled at the mess.

"Klaus, will you buy me a shirt?" Caroline looked up at him.

"You know I don't like to buy you clothes. That means you'll want to wear them." He wiggled his brows at her.

"That's not true. Don't traumatize your sister."

"Really, Nik," Rebekah pleaded. She wondered why she never learned that this always happened with these two.

Once the pitcher was finished, mostly due to Caroline and Stefan's contributions, Rebekah refused even one cup, they made their way to the game.

Caroline handed out the tickets to each person out in the crowded halls of the building.

"Stefan, will you help me find something palatable to eat and drink?" Rebekah batted her lashes at him.

"Sure. We'll see you guys later," he agreed.

Caroline and Klaus stopped in the pro shop to get the shirt she wanted.

Once she had it, she pointed to a men's shirt she liked.

"Caroline. Never. I will drink beer for you and with you. I may even eat something here, but I will not wear a shirt with a team name on it."

She never thought in a million years he would agree, but she got the 'Bitch, please' look on his face again which was good for a laugh. "If I bought this for him, do you think Elijah would be obligated to wear it?" They both smiled, but passed on following through.

"Fine. Let's get some more beer and popcorn. I can hear the pre-game announcements."

The seats were mid-price range. They weren't way up, but because she wasn't sure if they would even like it or stay, she didn't want to spend too much either.

Rebekah and Stefan ended up beating them to the seats.

"That's quite the spread you have there, mate," Klaus said jealously, eyeing the wine and freshly made sandwiches which covered Stefan's lap.

"If you treat me nice, maybe I'll let you have a taste," Stefan teased with a wink.

Stefan, Rebekah, Caroline, and then Klaus sat in a row, with Klaus sitting on the aisle. Caroline put their beers and popcorn between them.

As the game had already started, Caroline tried to explain to Klaus what was happening. Stefan was doing the same with Rebekah.

"It's a good thing you two have accents," she mumbled. It would explain why they didn't get the concept at all to those sitting around them. Klaus was a very intelligent man. He was just uninterested. He did like the way she had to lean in to talk to him though.

"I didn't see any of those outfits down in the shop," Klaus pointed out.

"Which ones? Oh, Klaus, those are the professional cheerleaders."

"I happen to have a thing for cheerleaders if you must know," he smirked.

Rebekah was trying to figure out the game and asked a lot of questions. Some of them had Caroline leaning down to get a look at Stefan and make a face when he met her eyes. "Why do they bounce the ball?" He did the same thing to her when Klaus asked something rudimentary about the sport. "Why is a basket two points?"

The third time Caroline did it towards Stefan, with a 'did she really just ask that question' face, Rebekah had had enough. She leaned in so she was between Caroline and Stefan and faced the other blonde. It was incredibly awkward.

"Caroline, ask your boyfriend why I may not have been up to date on this 'basketball' or anything for most of the last century," she snorted.

"That is true. Sorry, Rebekah. Sometimes I forget," she sat up and turned towards him. He just shrugged his shoulders. No shame with that one.

"It is true that it goes down easier the more you drink," he noted as a vendor started coming up the aisle selling beers.

"Here, I'll get you another one," Caroline was glad he was at least enjoying this part of the evening.

She waved her hand in the air to get the teenage boy's attention. She got it. He raced right over to see the beautiful blonde, not noticing the glowering man next to her.

"Can I get two beers?"

"That'll be $14.00" he started digging in the cooler for two bottles. "I haven't noticed you here before. First game?"

She handed over the money and a tip.

"Yeah. It is." She smiled at him.

As he was reaching out to give her the bottles, Klaus grabbed them.

"Thanks, mate. I've got this. No need to touch the lady," Klaus decided to make his presence known.

Stefan and Rebekah both took sips of their drinks to keep from laughing at seeing Klaus act in a very Klaus-like way, mumbling under their breath "the lady."

The kid didn't fear Klaus, so he felt ok to call out a final, "Hope to see you again, beautiful."

Caroline had to tug on the back of Klaus' arm to keep him from following him. "Easy, killer," she smiled at her quip.

Klaus became more and more aggravated as the game went on. He had a hard time paying attention to what was happening on the court. It didn't help with all the attention Caroline was getting. She was cheering for the home team, giving out high fives to those around them when there was a great play. Everyone seemed to want to touch the girl enjoying herself so much, or that's what it appeared like to him.

It also didn't help when the others seated in their row wanted to pass. Klaus had his eyes on a couple of the young guys who he thought got a little too close as they passed. He eventually put his arm out in front of her to have them keep an appropriate distance. She rubbed his shoulders to soothe him when they sat back down.

Rebekah and Stefan had their heads propped together, whispering as Rebekah was trying to soak it all in. They had gotten some more drinks and switched seats when they returned, so Stefan now sat near Caroline.

The highlight of the night for Caroline was when the Kiss Cam started. She loved this part. While she loved the game, being in the atmosphere with other fans is what made it fun.

She tugged on his arm and pointed at the big screen.

"Look how cute," she was watching the adorable couples, young and old, when all of a sudden she saw herself on the screen.

"Klaus!" she yelled while watching them on the screen, waving madly. The alcohol had lowered her inhibitions and she always wanted to be on the JumboTron. Perfect timing.

She grabbed his face and laid one on him. She could hear the cheering of the crowd around them for the few seconds it lasted and the camera moved on.

By the time Klaus realized what was happening, it was over. Stefan stood up and slapped him on the shoulder.

"Good thing the camera didn't stop on Caroline and I, right?" Stefan asked with a grin, poking the bear.

"You are attached to your liver, are you not?"

"Now the world is conspiring for them to make out in front of everyone," Rebekah sighed. "Hey Stefan, you never answered the question. You are attached to your liver, are you not?" She echoed her brother's sentiments. Their eyes met over Stefan and Caroline with a look of Mikaelson approval. If all else fails, threaten to remove a kidney.

"Do you think that pimply beer seller got a look?" Klaus asked with a smug grin and an arm around Caroline's shoulders. If nothing else, he thought maybe everyone would see that she was here with him. She did kiss him after all.

The game was almost over with the New Orleans team winning by a wide margin. Everyone had been relaxed by the alcohol, except for Klaus who could only stomach three beers before giving up. They had no effect on his hybrid constitution and he was completely sober to drive them home.

Stefan and Rebekah were going to stay at his place for the night. He dropped them off at Stefan's place just outside the French Quarter.

"Keep your hands to yourself, mate," Klaus called out.

Rebekah just waved her hand over her head as they walked away.

"Did you have a good time?" Caroline asked during the rest of their short drive home, fingers once again stroking the back of his neck.

"I enjoyed spending time with you," he smiled at her. That was about all he could say for his experience at the game.

She had consumed more alcohol than usual and she was very mellow and sleepy.

"I had a lot of fun. I hope we do it again. Do you think I can talk Elijah into coming?"

"You've talked him into things I never thought he would do, so there's that," he mused. He was well aware of the things he would do for her and it shouldn't surprise him as much as it did that she was able to also cajole his brother into doing things well out of his comfort zone.

Klaus let her out near the front door while he went to park the car in the garage in the back.

She jumped out of the big SUV and made her way up the front walk when she noticed someone dressed in all black moving off towards the edge of the lawn once she was close to the porch. Would someone dare to rob the Mikaelson mansion? Wait a minute. That person looked very familiar.

"Elena? Elena Gilbert, is that you?"

The figure froze for a moment before whooshing off into the night.

What just happened? Did Elena ignore her? Oh no, she didn't.

Caroline dialed her phone. After one ring, Elena picked up.

"Hey Care, how's the Big Easy treating you?"

"Did you just walk right past me when I called your name?"

"Uh no. Are you in Mystic Falls?"

"No. Are you in New Orleans?"

"No." Caroline could hear Jeremy saying something in the background.

There was a moment's pause.

"Katherine," they both said at the same time.

"Talk to you later, Elena."

"Watch your back around that one."

"I know. Good night."

By this point she was inside the front door and faced the only person Katherine Pierce would have been visiting.

"Seriously?"

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Thanks to everyone who responded to the last note and left a review. You guys definitely answered the call. Thank you.

I know this scenario was a little out there. Seeing Klaus and even Rebekah at a very American event was an idea to get them into a different environment.

Plus, it gave me an opportunity to mention everyone's favorite missing character at the end.

The next chapter will pick up where this one left off and I'm really excited about it, although it probably doesn't go where you think it will.


	20. Chapter 20

Taking Care of the Other One XX

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of these characters.

An update about 24 hours from the last one? Three updates this week? Is it Christmas?

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"Elijah! Why did I have to see that? I was having such a good night. I was on the Kiss Cam! I thought we were friends. You have to tell him."

She couldn't believe she caught Katherine Pierce sneaking out of the house. She pushed her hands through her hair, flustered after having such a good time earlier.

"What is a Kiss Cam?" Elijah asked, confused.

"Don't make me keep your secret," she said and whooshed off to the bedroom. She didn't want the beer buzz to wear off.

She heard Klaus come inside the house as she washed her face and took care of her nightly routine. She got changed into some boxers and tank top and put her hair up into a messy bun. She sat on the bed, picking at her nails.

Klaus stopped inside the door when he saw her. That was a nervous habit she had, picking at her nail polish.

"What's going on?" He asked while slowly taking off his shoes.

"Nothing. I mean, nothing really. Wasn't the game fun? I had fun. The JumboTron thing was cool. Do you think Rebekah had fun? I might wear my new T-shirt tomorrow. Will it be nice out?"

As she rambled, he came to a complete stop, hands paused on his belt. The finger-picking was one thing. The rambling was an even bigger tell. Something was going on.

"Tell me."

She sighed.

"It's not for me to say. Talk to your brother. Did you see him on your way in?"

"He was leaving. He didn't say anything. Tell me."

"I can't."

"And why not, exactly? If you are in any danger, you must tell me now." His face was stern, not willing to compromise on her safety at all.

"I'm not and I can take care of myself. Talk to Elijah."

"Caroline, you accuse me of being paranoid, but this is the reason why."

He absolutely hated when things were kept from him. She wasn't giddy as if she was planning some fun surprise. She had lost some of her exuberance since he let her out of the car. At least she wasn't in danger. She wouldn't keep that from him.

"I know," she mumbled flopping dramatically into the bed, the alcohol still effecting her.

He continued to watch her as he got undressed. He reluctantly went into the bathroom to brush his teeth. When he came out, she was in the same position, but with her arm thrown over her eyes.

He turned off the lights and climbed under the covers next to her. He waited.

She didn't move. Time to bring out the big guns.

He lifted her up and under the sheets, pulling her under him and settling into the cradle of her thighs.

He nuzzled her neck, pressing kisses all over.

She lifted her arms to reach his shoulders, moaning her approval. His skin was warm and comforting.

"Caroline," he kept up the kisses, settling in deeper on top of her. He spoke low, "Won't you tell me what happened?"

Her eyes popped open.

That dirty rat, trying to seduce her into telling Elijah's secret.

She slapped his shoulder and shouted, "Never!" like the drama major she was. She cracked herself up.

She also smiled, letting him know his plan wouldn't work. "Nice try, Mikaelson."

He smiled one of his scary smiles back at her and promptly rolled over and off of her. He moved so his back was to her.

She rolled over herself and settled in behind him, being the big spoon, but there was no reaction. She reached down over him and felt he was already hard. Of course he was. This was Klaus she was talking about. She stroked him for a second over his boxers before he removed her hand. She moved back and laid flat on the bed.

She waited to see what he would do next.

Nothing.

"Wait a minute. Are you not going to have sex with me because you want me to tell Elijah's secret?"

"Yes," he bit out, miffed at not knowing everything, in contrast to his body's urge to be with her, a constant.

She laughed and laughed. She also snorted and he rolled to look at her as she wiped her eyes.

"What?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Please. I could go a lot longer without sex than you. You'll cave by morning and you can talk to Elijah then." She tipped her head to he side, emphasizing her point. This was Klaus they were talking about.

"You're on. We'll see who gives in first." A competition, huh? His wolf side appreciated the opportunity to play, especially for such a rewarding prize.

"Deal."

They shook hands on it. She also gave him a kiss and told him she loved him and he said it back.

In the morning, they both squinted their eyes at one another. A blood bag helped any lingering effects of the night before for her. Caroline made plans to have brunch with Genevieve and was gone for a few hours.

She anxiously arrived home wanting to see if the brothers had talked. She was only in New Orleans for another three days and she didn't want to go back with this hanging over her head. Plus, they were still long distance. If she didn't get some Mikaelson loving in before she left, it could be weeks! Even longer than usual. Sometimes she thought Klaus wanted to give her as many orgasms as possible while she was there to average it out when they were apart. She fully supported him in this mission of course.

As she walked in, Klaus came to the study's doorway, casually leaning against the doorframe.

"Did you talk to Elijah?"

"Yes."

"So you know who I saw last night?"

She was afraid to say her name, just in case he was tricking her. He was sneaky, but boy, did she love him.

"Katerina Petrova? Oh yes, I've known about it all along." He smiled smugly.

She stomped her foot.

"Klaus! Why didn't you say anything then? Ugh. I was so worried."

"I didn't know it was her that you saw last night, only that he had been seeing her. I haven't decided what I'm going to do about it yet."

"You're so annoying. Good thing I love you so much." She was so relieved this was over. Elijah hadn't asked for her help with Klaus, but at a certain point she would probably have to get involved. She sidled up to him to run her fingers through his curls.

"Is Elijah walking around somewhere or is he daggered?"

"Ah, he's fine. Having this hanging over his head is enough for the moment. You catching sight of her actually moved the timetable up a bit, thank you, love. Although I did convey to him what would happen if Katerina ever dared to harm you in any way. I believe I made my point quite clear." He brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"I can take care of myself." She really should have a recording of that made to play for him over and over. "Are we alone?"

He gave her a kiss, bringing his arms around her waist.

"Yes, sweetheart."

"Let's go upstairs then."

"Sure, if that means you're giving in on our little bet."

"Huh?" She backed up.

"The bet was who could go longer. If you're ready, I'll accept your concession in the most graceful manner I know." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Your move, sweetheart."

"So this is how it is." She crossed her arms too. "Oh, I'm not giving in. I was, uh, just seeing if you were giving in."

He smirked at her.

Her head was already spinning with ideas on how to break this deadlock as soon as possible. She had a ticking clock in terms of her plane ticket home.

She was a little confused on how this went from Elijah messing with her sex life to her own big mouth though.

She would just have to tempt him enough and stay calm herself. Ohmmmm. She would stay cool and in control. Should she hide his necklaces? What about his cologne? She'd have to think about this.

She found a local dojo on another trip to keep up with her kickboxing. It came in handy when she was in New Orleans for the summer. Even better it was run by some vampires, loyal to Klaus of course, so she could really let go. She paid per session when she was back in town.

She had an idea, plus getting to work her frustration out on the equipment would be good. She put on her new basketball T-shirt, with a pink sports bra underneath, gray yoga pants, and bright green sneakers. Her hair was up in a high ponytail.

"I'll be back in a little over an hour." She left him while he did some paperwork. He looked up, nodded, and went back to it.

Caroline came back about 90 minutes later. She was sweaty and high on endorphins. She took off the T-shirt as she walked in the house, dropping it inside the front door. She could hear Klaus was still at his desk. She paused and didn't hear anyone else. She went to the kitchen to get a drink, which she finished quickly, and grabbed an ice cube.

She sauntered over to the study. He stayed seated at the desk, admiring her exposed abs.

"Oh, I'm so hot. There's nothing like a good workout. All that stretching and pulling. Ahh." She made sure she had his attention as she began to run the ice cube slowly along her exposed collarbone, covering all of her cleavage, and moving it up along both sides of her neck, giving him the best view possible.

"That feels so good, Klaus. Mmmm."

Her nipples hardened behind the pink sports bra. She closed her eyes for a moment and bit her lip.

Klaus was practically drooling. She had to keep from laughing when she saw his face. His eyes were watching her every move until the cube melted.

She then slowly undid her hair from the ponytail, letting it all down, shaking it free.

"That feels so good. It was sooooo tight."

She moaned, running her fingers through her thick hair, massaging the crown of her head.

"I'm going to go shower. I'm still so sweaty and hot. Then we can go out."

She turned around and took off the sports bra, dropping it as she left the room. She left the rest of her clothes on her way to the shower.

Usually any one of those things would have had him pouncing. He was made of stern stuff though and he didn't break down and join her in the shower, where she made sure to ooh and ahh, so he could hear her. Once she changed, she went back for her clothes and picked them up.

"Good form, sweetheart," he announced when she was ready to go.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she haughtily replied, not meeting his eyes.

He stood up, kissed her on the cheek as he neared, and went up to change himself.

"Good form, sweetheart," she mimicked him when he came downstairs seconds later decked out all in black, lots of necklaces, sunglasses hooked into the V of his Henley, and smelling of cologne. She had told him once she thought he looked really hot when he wore that exact outfit.

He smirked. "Is it working?"

"Let's go." She was determined to win this battle.

Klaus initially thought it would just be a matter of denial, but once he saw her flaunting her body with the ice cube, he knew he had to apply some leverage of his own.

They spent the rest of the day and early afternoon shopping. He was extremely attentive, even more than usual. He was overly polite and kind to the people around them. It was making her knees weak.

Once he started to constantly touch her, a hand on the back there, a hand tucked up underneath her hair to caress her nape there, she kept her distance and hunched her shoulders so he couldn't get access. He laughed at her.

"You're paying attention to humans and you keep touching me!" She snapped at him when they left the last store. "You're using my own moves against me! Not fair."

"Who cares about being fair?" If anything was the essence of Klaus Mikaelson, it might have been that right there.

He was able to get hold of her hand. He turned it over and gave her palm a kiss with a quick swipe of his tongue too. He caught the flare of lust in her eyes. She tried to control the shiver, but he saw it. Once she saw he was going for the tattoo on her wrist, she quickly pulled her hand away as he laughed.

It was torture, wanting nothing more than to be close to him, but not wanting to give in either.

They had dinner together and had a quiet night. It was sort of a temporary truce. They talked. She laughed and he smiled. Neither were giving in though, both incredibly stubborn.

She went in the bathroom to wash her face and get ready for bed.

"Do you mind if I put on some music?" he called out to her. He picked up her iPod and plugged it into the dock on one of the bedside tables.

"Sure," she called out as she started to brush her teeth.

Once she heard the song he selected though, she came out with the toothbrush still in her mouth. She narrowed her eyes at him once again and pointed at him. It was back on! Truce over!

Adorn by Miguel was the song. She had told him once that she thought this song was super sexy. He was using her preferences against her once again.

She went back to brushing her teeth and moisturized her face.

As she came out of the room she started to dance around to the music. She ran her hands up and down her sides and up under her hair. She twisted and moved her hips to the beat. She also started to sing along to the song. She made her way over to the dresser and she pulled out a baby doll camisole and matching panties, all the while moving to the music.

She started a sexy striptease for him, pulling her shirt over her head, pretending to have no idea that once again he hadn't blinked the entire time. His eyes were glued to her breasts in her blue bra. She slowly unzipped her jeans, dropped them, and kicked them away as well to the rhythm.

The song ended while she was left in her bra and thong panties. She slowly made her way over to the iPod and picked her own song. Since it was the only one should could think of on short notice, she had it in her library, and she thought it would be funny, she chose Bump and Grind by R. Kelly.

Once she found it and hit play, she paused and sang along to the first line, not meeting his eyes, "My mind's telling me no, but my body, my body is telling me yes." She moved as if he wasn't there.

She slowly unclasped her bra from behind and let it fall. She moved her hands to her breasts, rubbing them slowly. She leaned down to pick up the bra, letting him get an eyeful from his position just inside the closed door, and put it into the clothes hamper. She had her back to him as she slowly lowered her thong to the ground, moving to the music still.

Closing her eyes to fall into the music, she used her best moves from any R&B music video she had ever seen on her way to the bed to pick up her selected pajamas. She even worked in some steps she'd seen Beyonce do after accidentally-on-purpose dropping the camisole top to the ground. "Fuck me," accidentally fell from his lips along with a muffled groan. She hid her smile. She was in the middle of shimmying into the panties when the song was finished. She continued getting dressed as if nothing was wrong before she saw a blur to her left and the song started again.

She laughed at him. He didn't want the show to end. To be honest, she didn't either. She was turning herself on, knowing how much he was engrossed in her moves.

"Caroline, you cannot stop now," he pleaded stepping up behind her and resting his hands on her shoulders.

Turning in his arms, she looked up meekly, "Sorry. I just get into the music sometimes. Do you want me to put on some more clothes? Is this too temping for you?" If only her drama professor could see her now. Well, actually not this exact moment where she was trying to seduce her boyfriend, but the 'acting meek' part when she didn't mean a word of what she said.

He took in a deep breath as he looked at her in the bright red top and panties, music still going on in the background.

"I'm not sure you know how to be anything but tempting, love," he admitted. He dipped his head and she raised up on her tiptoes to meet him. She moved one hand to stroke his stubbled cheek as their mouths collided. She felt his tongue meet hers and she moaned. His hands ran down to cup her ass and she jumped up into his arms, wrapping her arms and legs around him. She could feel his erection and wiggled against it.

He lifted his head back. "Does this mean you're giving in?"

"Nope," she mumbled against his neck as she latched her mouth to the underside of his jaw and sucked…hard.

"Caroline," he murmured her name.

She lowered herself to the ground. "Let me know when you concede this to me. It won't be any less hard. Get it? Hard, for you tomorrow. Good night. I love you," she said as climbed into the bed, ignoring how turned on she was. She closed her eyes and started to plot how she would handle this dilemma the next day. He didn't see her evil grin.

"Yeah, I got it. I love you too, sweetheart," he called back.

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Even worse cliffhanger, right?

The next one will start where this one ends! It was getting long and I have too many ideas to keep it to one chapter. I was basically having too much fun to keep it short, so it's going to keep going. Something to look forward to.

What do you guys think? I have some ideas for how these two can drive each other crazy, but if you have any good ones let me know.

Who do you think will crack first? I haven't gotten that far to figuring it out myself.


	21. Chapter 21

Taking Care of the Other One 21

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of these characters.

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Caroline woke up to Klaus spooning her with one of his hands tucked beneath her panties, cupping her, or as close to it as he could in her position. Not a bad way to wake up and she moved a little, getting some friction. He was still asleep behind her. She could feel his soft breath against her shoulder. Enjoying the sensation for a few minutes, she then remembered their contest and her eyes slowly opened, not wanting to face the day. If she could come before he woke up, would that mean she lost? She thought about it for a second and decided it was worth a shot.

She carefully lifted her top leg up to move his hand into better position, giving him some space. She felt his morning erection prodding her lower back. Moving one of her hands on top of his, she pushed it down to give her something to rub against. She tried make the movements as subtle as possible to avoid waking him. He made a noise in his sleep and she froze. Once he was quiet again for a few minutes she started to grind against his hand.

She was getting closer to coming when she felt his middle finger circle her clit and plunge inside of her. He was obviously awake.

"You're so wet, love. Are we finally ending this ridiculous bet?" he whispered into her ear, pushing in and out of her tight heat.

"What?" She looked down as if she had no idea what was going on and sadly removed his hand. "Klaus, I am shocked, just shocked by your scandalous behavior."

He chuckled into her neck and she giggled.

She rolled onto her other side to face him, sharing the same pillow.

As she watched he lifted his finger to his mouth and slowly sucked on it. Her own mouth dropped open.

"That's low. Even for you," she accused him. Once again, knowing what turned her on and using it against her.

He smirked.

She rolled him onto his back, getting on top. She laid on top of him, straddling his hips, and reached for the bedside table, groping around for something, anything, so she could stay in this position for a few more minutes. She made sure her boobs were right in his face. Reaching for a minute and then pretending to not be able to actually touch anything, she sat back down on him, grinding on him, making sure to come in contact with his erection over and over.

"Sorry. I can't seem to reach my phone over there," she sweetly smiled at him, with her arm outstretched over him. "It's so hard. I mean, so far."

He closed his eyes and his hands automatically came up to rest on her hips.

"Got it." She gave a little wiggle on his lap for her accomplishment and he groaned.

She gave him a kiss and leapt off of him. It was Thanksgiving and she had plans other than trying to get her boyfriend to crack and have sex with her, which was really and truly ridiculous. What did a girl have to do to get laid around here? Other than giving in first of course.

She stopped a few feet away from the bed and turned around to face him. She pointed her finger at him.

"Wait a minute. You haven't been, you know, in the shower or anything have you?" She hadn't been taking care of herself, but maybe he was playing by different rules.

"Have you?" He narrowed his eyes at her. It would explain why she was resisting him so well. It sounded like she could have been doing that in the shower the day before, but he wasn't convinced.

"Nope."

"Me neither."

"Ok, good."

"Good."

She brushed her teeth and then got in the shower. Stefan was coming over for lunch otherwise it was just Mikaelsons who would be there. Once again, a caterer would be doing the heavy lifting. She was just a guest after all. Rebekah was not remotely interested in cooking.

While in the shower, she heard him come in the bathroom. He was fumbling around with something. She wasn't going to give in and be curious. She was going to be firm and think about the day ahead. Ohmmmm.

Stepping out and grabbing a towel, she froze with it wrapped around her. She blocked out what she was pretty sure he was doing and yup, he was doing it. He was in front of the mirror, lathering his face up with shaving cream.

"Oh, you decided to shave. I wonder why."

Darn it. Seeing his smooth back, all that skin exposed, with just his boxer briefs on and seeing swatches of his face come out smooth from underneath the shaving cream in the mirror was another one of those turn ons she told him about. She caught herself being unable to look away.

"You're dripping, love." His eyes lit up at his double entendre.

That snapped her out of her trance and she moved to the walk-in closet to get some clothes.

"Don't you want to watch me, Caroline?" he teased. Klaus knew seeing him shave was what got to her, not that he had shaved, so her leaving so quickly did lessen the effect.

"See if I tell you anything that gets me hot ever again!" she declared.

She had to do some ironing, one of her least favorite chores, but in order to keep the pressure on Klaus, she raided his part of the closet. She put on a pair of his clean boxer briefs and one of his button down shirts, only buttoning one button in the center. Seeing her wear his clothes was one of the things that turned him on. It was the least she could do.

She put her hair up in a towel while she did her ironing. She was just about finished when he came out of the bathroom, having showered himself. He paused once he got a good look at what she was wearing.

"I was going to wear that shirt, Caroline." He wasn't, but she didn't need to know that.

She walked up into him and stopped so her fingers brushed against his chest while she undid the lone button.

"Here, I'm done anyway."

Dropping the shirt from her shoulders, she put it into his hand. She leaned up into his neck, letting her bare breasts rest against his bare chest, "You smell good." She took a good long sniff and also was sure to feel his smooth cheeks.

Turning on her heel, she finished getting dressed. She wore a tank, cardigan, and skirt in fall colors. It was still warm outside in Louisiana, but she tried to get into the holiday spirit.

Preparations were under way when they both stepped into the dining room a little later, after Caroline finished drying her hair. Amazing smells were coming out of the kitchen and the table setting was gorgeous.

Elijah was in the study next door. She popped her head in.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Elijah," she greeted him.

"To you as well, Caroline. I wanted to apologize for putting you in the middle of my quarrel with Klaus. I hope this does not taint our friendship." He was solemn. He'd come to look at Caroline like a sister and her influence on Klaus had been tremendous. Causing any friction between the two of them was not his intention.

"Thanks. We still need to talk about this. I want to know everything and I mean everything, but that can wait. I need a favor from you." She gave him a smile that made him nervous. Klaus was busy ribbing Rebekah about something, so she leaned it to whisper in his ear what she wanted.

"Not a problem. It's the least I can do for you," he agreed.

She beamed at him and clasped her hands in front of her chest in excitement.

At one, they were ready to eat. They entered the dining room and took their places, except while Klaus and Elijah usually sat at the ends of the table, with Caroline on his right, Caroline sat at the other end of the table and Elijah sat on his right. Rebekah and Stefan took their usual places on the opposite side of Elijah.

"What's the meaning of this, Caroline?" Klaus asked across the table from her, nothing obstructing their view of one another. Always suspicious, this wasn't going according to his plan. He planned on touching her under the table, hoping she would break and drag him upstairs.

"Oh this, I just wanted to see what it was like on this side of the table. Elijah didn't mind switching," she gave him an innocent smile.

"It's true, Niklaus. I'm fine sitting here. Let's enjoy our dinner."

A large turkey was already carved in the middle with all of the traditional side dishes alongside. They each had goblets of wine and blood available for drinking. Caroline and Stefan's glasses were filled with blood bag blood of course.

Caroline started innocently enough, smiling sweetly at Klaus and he did the same in return. She once again asked Rebekah and Stefan how they liked the basketball game the other night and asked if she could convince them to go again. Both said yes. They talked about mundane things.

Caroline was acting like she normally did, but Klaus sat back in his chair, convinced she was up to something. They did have a bit of a temporary truce the other day, but both were starting to get a little cranky at their self-imposed dry spell. It wasn't normal, he told himself.

He watched her closely and then began to notice something, something that his blood pumping a little bit quicker. She started playing with her utensils, emphasizing how her lips closed over her fork. She subtly moaned when she ate something she particularly liked. He looked at the others, but they didn't seem to think anything was amiss.

By the time the main course was finished, he was rock hard under the table. She was torturing him in the sweetest way possible.

Making sure to catch her eye, he mouthed, "I know what you're doing."

She quirked a brow in return.

Pumpkin pie was brought out for dessert. Caroline was having too much fun. She was undoing herself at the same time she was undoing Klaus, but watching his eyes fire up was too great to let go of.

She started to obscenely use her spoon, licking it all over. At one point, Rebekah even covered Stefan's eyes as the others noticed what she was doing.

"Caroline! That is a spoon, not a toy," she scolded her. "Put it down."

Caroline blushed and looked down, meekly putting the spoon on the table.

"Sorry, Rebekah," she mumbled. Stefan and Elijah were both giving her weird looks. "Quit it you two. Show's over."

Klaus was amused that she was found out, until she did the one thing that absolutely drove him to the breaking point.

"No," he hissed.

She let her vampire features take over her face when she drank from the goblet of blood.

He slapped his open palm against the table and raced to the front door.

"Klaus!" she yelled after him, trying to get to him before he left. She pretty much knew what would happen next.

"Don't you dare turn into your wolf. You know that turns me on when you come back all hot and sweaty!" She marched right up to him in the open doorway and poked him in the chest with each word.

"It turns me on and it turns me on that it turns you on. As if you don't know what you just did to me!" He shouted right back at her.

"Fine."

"Fine!"

"I love you!"

"I love you!"

Caroline was always sure to say it to him, even when they were caught up in the most ridiculous fight she'd ever been a part of. Their love and relationship was bigger than any lame spat and she wanted to reinforce that for him and he always did the same for her. She also hoped her "I love you" doubled as "Don't do anything stupid" and "Be careful while you're out there."

They each stopped with their noses almost brushing. The tension between them was off the charts.

He whooshed off and she took a breath.

"Rebekah!" she shouted and then remembered she left them all in the dining room.

Each one had their mouths open, completely unsure of what just happened.

"Happy Thanksgiving, right? Rebekah, can I talk to you?"

Once everyone settled down, she was able to get Rebekah alone in the living room. She had to hurry though before Klaus returned in his post-wolf state. It was best not to be around him if she couldn't have him.

"Is this another one of your sex games with my brother? If it is, I really don't want to know anything about it."

"Well it is, but please, just listen." She grabbed Rebekah's arm when she wanted to get up. "This is important. This is about men versus women. Are you with me?"

"Not yet," Rebekah was checking out her manicure.

"Ok. I started a stupid bet with him to see who could go longer without having sex. Like I said, stupid, but I can't be the one to break first," she whined. She ran her hands through her hair, incredibly frustrated and cranky. "I'm trying everything to get him to cave. I think I know something that might do the trick, but I need your help to make it happen."

"He does always get his way, so it would be nice to see him get taken down. Figuratively, not literally. I do not want to be near either of you when one of you gives in. Please." She cocked her head to the side. "This is a good reason to stay with Stefan, though. Wait. Aren't you leaving in a few days? No! Caroline, no." She could not deal with that Klaus for weeks!

"I know," Caroline sighed, resigned.

"If you promise this ends before you leave, I'll help you. I live with him, you don't. I can't deal with him like that," Rebekah scoffed.

"No, I promise. I'll go crazy going without him that long anyway. I'm already going crazy and it's only been 48 hours. He has a thousand years of experience." She pretended not to see Rebekah wince. "I need your connections to get this thing to work and I think it might be enough to push him over the edge. You can stay with Stefan tonight. Tell Elijah he might want to find someplace else to stay. By the way, we need to talk about him. Back to business though."

Caroline filled her in on the plan. Rebekah wasn't sure exactly why Caroline thought this would do the trick, they had the weirdest sex life ever, but it was worth a shot. She didn't have anything planned for the rest of the day anyway. She made some calls. The process took a while, but Caroline was really happy when it was over. Rebekah got a similar thing done for herself, which she had fun with.

According to a phone call from Stefan, Klaus and Elijah were going out that night to Rousseau's. Stefan was going to join them as well. Their plan was to start early and stay out late. Klaus had come home after transforming back and Caroline wasn't even around to get tempted by him! He wanted to get as trashed as possible and thanks to his brother and friend, they were going to do it. He could practically hear the ticking clock over his head and he wanted to drown the clock in alcohol.

Finding a table wasn't hard. It was Thanksgiving night and it was still relatively early. More vampires would be coming out to play in the next hour or two. Klaus planned on getting a head start on them and possibly depleting the entire bar's alcohol stock.

"Brother, do you want to tell us what's going on?"

"No." He was full-on pouting.

"C'mon. It can't be that bad," Stefan tried to get him to open up. He did not want to be on the receiving end of Klaus' bad mood, so maybe he could help resolve it.

"Caroline and I have a bet and I think I'm about to lose it," he mumbled into his glass before slamming it back and pouring himself another. They bought a bottle at a time, knowing glasses would be empty in seconds.

"That's it? I thought maybe you fought about something significant, like your tendency to kill people."

Klaus scowled at him.

"Rippah, you know that liver I'm always threatening? Do you think Rebekah would like it as a gift?"

Stefan couldn't help but laugh.

"Ok, I do want my liver. I need it for all the alcohol I end up drinking with you. What's the bet?"

"The bet is who can go longer without sex," he again mumbled before finishing another glass.

Stefan could not stop laughing. Even Elijah couldn't resist chuckling at the inane nature of their disagreement.

"This is too good. Does Rebekah know? I have to tell her." Stefan reached for his phone.

"No, you do not need to tell her." He slammed his hand down, preventing any texts. "Are you here as my friend or not?"

"Fine," he sighed. "What can we do?"

"Yes, brother. I'm not sure how we can help, but what is your plan?"

"I don't have a plan, Elijah" he shouted before lowering his voice. "The problem isn't not having sex. The problem is not having sex _with her._ Every time I think I'm making progress, she one ups me. She's clever, that girl. It's one of the many reasons why I love her, but our stubborn natures may drive me insane. She's also leaving in two days."

The other men looked at each other, worried, and tried to offer up any suggestions for Klaus.

"I'm not sure what she sees in you, so I'm not sure I can help. I could lend you some hair products."

"Really, Stefan? That's the best you can do?"

"I always find the ladies enjoy my suits. Let me give you my tailor's number."

Stefan and Klaus both rolled their eyes.

Klaus told them a few of the things he'd tried. If the others hadn't caught him and Caroline having sex all the time he wouldn't have shared, but they did, so they might as well help him.

"I've got it," Stefan crowed after the third bottle was finished. "I know something that will blow her mind. Something only Caroline would get turned on by, because it's truly weird," he added as an aside. "You'll be her hero. It's perfect."

Klaus heard him out and he had to admit, the idea had merit. It might actually work. It was just a matter of getting everyone in position at the right time. He slowed down on the alcohol, not wanting to be too impaired when the perfect opportunity presented itself.

In the meantime, Caroline and Rebekah got ready to surprise the boys. Caroline chose her outfit to maximize the effect on Klaus. She wore black knee-high boots, a short denim skirt, and a black retro concert T-shirt cut around the neckline and shoulders. Her makeup mostly consisted of a bright red lip and she had her hair in a fishtail braid.

"How do I look?" she asked, arms out doing a twirl.

Rebekah bit her lip, thinking about what wasn't quite right.

"Come here," she pulled her in and then pulled out her scissors. She then made the skirt about two inches shorter than it had been. "Perfect."

"Yikes. Ok." Caroline tugged the skirt down so it was riding low on her hip bones, but at least she wasn't worried she would be flashing everyone.

Rebekah looked amazing in her own tight jeans and black corset-style top.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but take no prisoners, Caroline."

Caroline brought her in for a hug. "I know this is bizarre, but when you have something weird going on, I owe you more than one."

They laughed and then plotted out their plan of attack.

Walking into Rousseau's they immediately spotted the guys and pretended to be engrossed in conversation.

"No time for you today either, Cami," Caroline announced as she didn't bother looking at the bartender.

Cami opened and closed her mouth. "I didn't even say anything."

"That's enough, Cami," Rebekah added and she shared a look with Caroline. Another bonding moment between the two.

Klaus heard her the minute she spoke and he elbowed his two companions and pointed out the visitors. He leaned back in his chair and smiled smugly. This was going to end tonight and he was going to be victorious.

He waited for them to get settled. They waved at the guys, but moved on to play some pool. Klaus gave Caroline a wink. Of course, she looked bloody sensational, although he did think the skirt was a little too short. After they had a few drinks, he stood up to make his big move and got close to the blonde.

As soon as Klaus stood up, her eyes couldn't help but follow him. When he reached the bar her eyes almost popped out of her head. He better not do what she thought he might do.

Nope. What he did was worse.

"Cami, hello," Klaus cooed in his most sensual voice. "Did you see my gorgeous girlfriend walk in here? She's incredible, is she not? I love her with all of my heart. One day soon I hope she'll agree to become Caroline Mikaelson. My life has never been better and I owe it all to her. Some impostors try to copy her generous spirit, fierce nature, uncompromising humanity, and even her looks. It's really sad to see them. Everyone else looks paler in comparison. Run along now."

With every word, Caroline gripped the pool table tighter and tighter until it started to crack under her hands.

Rebekah, Stefan, and Elijah's eyes went back and forth watching each of them and their reactions to one another.

"Unf. I think I just came," Caroline breathed out, flustered and flushed.

He smirked and his eyes flashed yellow when they met hers.

Nothing he could have done would have turned her on any more than what he did just then, praising her and insulting Cami all at the same time. Nothing. "Rebekah, hurry! Keep your distance, Klaus!"

Rebekah sprung into action while Klaus got closer and closer, stalking his prey. They both knew once he reached her she would be lost. Rebekah got behind Caroline and tugged her T-shirt up and out of the skirt. She quickly pulled it up and knotted it in the back, exposing her lower stomach and back in the process.

"Done," Rebekah announced, hoping this would work.

Caroline spun around so her back was to Klaus and waited for his reaction.

She heard him stop dead in his tracks, footsteps stopping.

"What. Is. That?" he barely breathed out, eyes glued to her right lower back and what he saw creeping up out of her skimpy skirt.

She couldn't speak or it would be for him to take her home right now. She could not remember even being more turned on in her life. Her nipples were hard and she was soaking wet.

His footsteps restarted and his fingers traced along the pattern he found. Her pussy involuntarily clenched. He moved even closer and brought his right arm across her stomach, pulling her into his chest.

"It's time for us to be alone," he murmured into her hair. She nodded her agreement and he whooshed her off to the mansion.

"Rebekah, what just happened?" Stefan was completely confused, although he was pleased that his idea seemed to mostly work.

"Do you really want to know?" He shook his head. He really didn't. "Ready to leave?" He nodded his head. "Goodnight, Elijah. I wouldn't even try to go home for at least twenty-four hours." He agreed. Rebekah was excited to show off for Stefan what she got for herself. She wasn't sure Stefan would react the same way Klaus did, but it couldn't hurt to try.

Klaus only set her down once they were back inside their bedroom. He turned on a bedside lamp.

"Well played, love. Show me."

"I will, but you get naked first," she ordered. She crossed her arms over her chest to see if he'd go along.

"Anything for you, sweetheart," he smirked.

He toed off his shoes first. Then he reached back and pulled the shirt out and over his head. Her eyes took in his gorgeous body. He undid his belt and then slowly unzipped his jeans, lowering them to the ground and kicking them free.

He raised his hands up, but she stopped him. "Nope, leave the necklaces."

He smiled and lowered his boxers to the ground. He was hard for her. He'd been hard for her since he woke up that morning. Just seeing his erection was enough for her to feel her pussy clench again. He was so beautiful.

He reached a hand down to himself and she stopped him. "Nope. Not that! If you want to see it, no touching." She was hanging on by a thread and watching him stroke himself in front of her after basically forty-eight hours of foreplay might kill her.

She sat down the bed, unzipped her boots, and pulled off her socks and boots. Slipping from the bed, she stood up, and turned around. She unbuttoned the top button and unzipped the skirt. She looked over her shoulder at him.

"Ready?"

"Always."

"No, really. Are you sure?" she teased.

"Caroline, yes!"

"Alright, no need to yell." She smirked at his crankiness.

She shimmied out of her skirt and panties at the same time, letting them drop. She turned her head over her shoulder and Klaus' eyes were glued to her brand new henna tattoo. She had gotten Rebekah's help to find someone who could do it for her and on Thanksgiving no less.

It was on her right hip. About four inches long and three inches wide, it was a floral pattern. She loved it.

His jaw dropped.

"Does that say Klaus?" he peered in to get a better look, bending to get within inches of it. He even pressed a quick kiss on it before standing up again.

"Yup." She was able to get the talented artist to add Klaus' name in subtly within the design. It wasn't obvious. She was actually surprised he picked it out so fast, but again since he hadn't blinked it shouldn't be too big of a shock. She wasn't into names in tattoos, but since this wasn't permanent and was really meant to torture him, she thought it was appropriate.

While he was busy staring, she finished getting undressed and soon she was as naked as he was. She turned around and lifted her arms around his neck.

"I wasn't done looking," he pouted.

"I know, Nik. I know. It will last at least until I leave," she soothed him.

The mention of her having to leave made the moment a little more serious.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too, sweetheart."

They kissed and it was sweet rather than passionate. They were both so close to the edge that it helped slightly calm them.

He picked her and placed her on the bed. She helped by pushing all the sheets and covers to the foot of the bed.

He once again settled in the cradle of her thighs. It was the same position he was in two days ago that started it all.

They kissed again. This time it was passionate and all the lust between them flared up. It was all lips, teeth, and tongue. Clashing mouths and roaming hands.

She pulled back, ready to concede, needing her inside of him right that minute. This was the man who chased Katherine for 500 years. He wasn't built to give up and it's one of the things she loved about him. Being with him in every way, including physically, was more important than besting him. They had to resolve this before it went on any longer.

"Klaus," she started.

"No, let me," he interrupted her holding her face in his hands. "Caroline, you win. You're right. I can't take not being able to make love to you."

She wanted to burst into tears. All of the built up emotions for the past few days were overwhelming her and her eyes began to water.

"That is the nicest, most romantic thing you've ever said to me. I love you, Niklaus Mikaelson."

He quirked a brow at her.

"That's the most romantic thing I've ever said to you? Not I intend to be your last love? More romantic than when I told you I love you?" he teased.

"You know what I mean. You did this for me and I love you for it." She smiled up into his gorgeous blue eyes and lifted her head to give him a peck. "Now fuck me!"

He chuckled and she joined him. Her laughter stopped when he pushed his way inside of her. He could see her wet pussy when he put her on the bed and it eased his slow and steady pressure as his cock pushed through her swollen tissues.

She moaned and closed her eyes at finally getting him inside of her. Her long legs came up around his waist.

"You feel so good, love. So wet."

She wasn't going to last very long and his hips rocked into her, his cock pushing in so deep over and over, going faster and faster. His pelvic bone hit her swollen clit and she could feel her climax starting deep inside.

"Don't stop. Klaus. Right there," she pleaded thrashing her head from side to side.

He pumped his hips harder and faster, pushing her up towards the headboard, groaning when he felt her clench on him, her pussy milking him over and over.

"YES! Yes, Klaus," she screamed and sobbed into his ear, nails scratching down his back and he couldn't resist her. He came as hard as he ever had, shooting deep inside of her.

He collapsed on top of her, being unable to move. When he was able to, he propped himself up on his elbows to look down at her. Her eyes were closed. Her cheeks were flushed. Her chest was rising and falling quickly.

"Caroline?"

Her eyes popped open and she gave him a big grin.

"That was amazing. I told you. I'm that good," she smirked. "Can we agree to not get into that bet again? We're too stubborn and full of pride."

"I did like some of the things you did though. How about we wait another hundred years?"

"Deal." They shook hands in their awkward position.

"That was for the ice cube trick by the way," he told as he pressed kisses to her sweaty temple.

"Is that so? Then I guess next time will be for you wearing that outfit that you know gets me all hot and bothered," she rolled them over so she was on top. "It's going to be a long night, Klaus. Can you handle this?"

"Let's find out," he smiled up at her.

"I can't wait until we get to that talk with Cami. I think I might have broken the pool table. It was so freaking hot, Klaus. You have no idea what that did to me." She shivered on top of him and he felt it where they were still joined. "That's going to blow your mind."

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The end of this drabble.

That was long! I almost broke it up again, but I couldn't do that to you.

Lots of teasing with a little smut for these two. I had a lot of fun writing it.

Thoughts?


	22. Chapter 22

Taking Care of the Other One 22

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of these characters, songs, anything.

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"My flight gets it at four. I'll meet you in the usual spot," she smiled. "I'm so excited."

She wiggled in her chair and he grinned, as she intended.

Caroline was traveling back to New Orleans during her January break. They spent the holidays in Mystic Falls with her mom. Watching her mother try to resist Klaus' charm reminded her a lot of her own beginning with him. Klaus' support of her finishing school was the biggest think he had going for him in Liz's eyes. She kind of liked that Liz gave him a hard time. Her mom had her best interest and since she didn't actively try to keep them apart, Klaus could use a little questioning for her. Caroline stayed behind in Mystic Falls to spend more time there. They were able to spend a lot of time alone, time Caroline knew was precious. Klaus returned to New Orleans. Once she arrived in NOLA, they would be leaving together in another few days for their anniversary vacation.

She thought he looked so adorable on her iPad screen. She also thought he wouldn't like being described as 'adorable.' It was like when she tried to call him 'pumpkin.' He would have preferred something like 'devastatingly handsome' or like a 'charming rogue.'

He had Skype set up on his desktop computer in the study. She liked being able to see familiar things behind him.

"Is that Caroline? Caroline, you are not going to believe this."

"Ooh, tell me." Rebekah was still the best gossip she knew.

Rebekah pushed Klaus out of the seat. He didn't go without a bit of a struggle, but when he saw both of their faces at his display, he gave in with a sigh. He moved to the couch and picked up his sketchbook, biding his time until he would be able to talk to his girlfriend again.

"Your wannabe evil twin has set up something new at Rousseau's," Rebekah gleefully spilled.

"No," she gasped.

"Yes! Karaoke night." Rebekah let that sink in. "Tonight is the first night, too."

"Klaus! Klaus, did you hear that? We are so going."

From his spot on the couch, "You know I have excellent hearing, love. I think Elijah heard you."

Rebekah smiled, because yes, Elijah did hear her. Caroline couldn't hear him in return, but she got the idea and rolled her eyes at their teasing. At least she didn't have to worry he was saying anything rude about her. He was her buddy.

"I'll work on my song selection during the flight. This is good." She looked at the clock. "Speaking of, I need to get going."

She only saw a blur and some smashing noises, but Rebekah was launched from the chair with Klaus replacing her with a smirk.

"Bye, Rebekah," she called out, knowing the other girl was fine. She heard some noises she assumed was a goodbye.

"Be safe, Caroline and I'll see you soon. I love you."

"I love you too. Bye." She kissed her fingers and touched the screen.

He previously told her as The Original Hybrid he would not do such a thing in return, but his heart-melting smile was enough.

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Caroline and Klaus made it to the bar just before the karaoke was to begin. Caroline's hand was firmly tucked into the back pocket of his jeans and she narrowed her eyes at Cami as they passed.

Rebekah and Stefan were meeting them there and they spotted the couple at a table set up near the makeshift stage. They weren't sitting side by side though.

Klaus and Caroline took the two seats between them. Stefan and Rebekah both reeked of alcohol. There was definitely tension in the air. Something had obviously happened.

Elijah would not be attending. He advised his ears were too sensitive to be bombarded by drunken tourists mangling masterpieces by Frank Sinatra. Caroline had to pick her battles with him, so she let him graciously slide. Karaoke or getting him to spill about Katherine? No brainer.

It was a weeknight in early January, so the place wasn't full. The buildup to Mardi Gras wouldn't start for another few weeks. There were some elderly couples, clearly tourists. There were some local vampires too.

The emcee introduced herself and briefly explained the process, how to find the song in the book, fill in the sheet, etc.

Stefan jumped up to get a book, brought it back to the table, and filled out a slip before anyone else. Caroline was very surprised. She hadn't ever heard him sing before, but didn't think it was something he would ever do without having his arm twisted, kind of like dancing.

"Ok, what did I miss?" Caroline looked to Klaus who shrugged, completely oblivious to his sister's distress.

"It's nothing," Rebekah barked and took another drink.

Klaus offered to go up and get a drink for her, which she nodded to. It was her vacation! She was about to go to an island with her hunky boyfriend really soon! Time to start drinking! It was a bourbon for him. A Hurricane for her. While he was gone, Caroline tried to get Rebekah to talk again, but she was resistant.

Caroline borrowed the book from Stefan to make her song selection, pleased it was available. She also tried to talk to Stefan, but he was quiet, as usual. She brought up her slip when it was clear neither were willing to tell her about it.

The emcee went up and started a song. Caroline wasn't a fan and Klaus winced the entire time. He was in for a rough night. The things he allowed her to talk him into always amused her. She focused on her drink.

She had her hand on his thigh and his arm was settled on the back of her chair.

"Will you sing for me, love?"

His eyes twinkled. She did sing to him on their anniversary and it was special, but Klaus' ego was thrilled with the idea that everyone would hear her beautiful voice with a song dedicated to him.

"Would you like that?" She knew the answer, but as always, he entertained her. He was so easy.

"Oh, yes." He practically purred.

"Then yes, I will." She leaned in for a brief kiss.

They looked up to see Stefan and Rebekah's matching looks of disgust.

"What? That wasn't inappropriate. There wasn't even tongue."

Stefan and Rebekah's eyes met and for a brief moment they forget their fight. It was broken after an instant though and Stefan's name was called to sing.

Caroline did not know what to expect. When the first notes hit her and she recognized the song, she leaned into Klaus and mumbled "Uh oh." He was confused and started to pay attention.

"_Shot through the heart and you__'__re to blame. Darlin, you give love a bad name._"

Stefan singing Bon Jovi made sense, but when he pointedly avoided looking at Rebekah while singing, with a lot of anger, "_you promise me heaven, then put me through hell_" it was so awkward. Clearly their fight influenced his song choice and he was sending Rebekah a message. Caroline shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"Rebekah, do you want me to hurt him?" Klaus asked.

"Klaus, she can handle this on her own. You can, right, Rebekah? Otherwise, I can hurt him a little too," Caroline offered.

"What's the difference between you offering and me offering exactly, Caroline?" He quirked a brow at her.

"The difference is that I wouldn't actually do it. I don't even know why I said it. I was trying to be nice and got caught up. Sorry, Rebekah," she shrugged.

Not paying attention to either of them, Rebekah wasn't going to take her anti-serenade laying down. She leaned into Caroline's ear to get the name of a song while Stefan continued to butcher Bon Jovi. Caroline knew the name and Rebekah compelled the emcee to let her go next.

She returned to the table and crossed her arms until he finished.

Caroline would give Stefan drunk enthusiasm, but he was definitely pitchy. Klaus kept up the sassy commentary for her. He told her it was the least he could do for being dragged along.

"Rebekah, this is prime blackmail material. Get your phone out."

"Has all of the gel eroded his vocal cords somehow?"

"Is he trying to dance and swing the microphone around?"

"Is that an air guitar solo?"

She squeezed his thigh in return, trying to stifle her laughter.

She cheered along with a few drunks in the corner when it was over.

When he started to make his way offstage, Rebekah went up.

When Stefan heard the music begin, immediately knowing the song, he had to laugh bitterly. "Yeah, right."

"_You walked into the party like you were walking onto a yacht_," she sang.

"_You__'__re so vain. You probably think this song is about you. You__'__re so vain. I bet you think this song is about you. Don__'__t you? Don__'__t you?_"

When she first reached the "you're so vain" part, Klaus sat up a little straighter.

"At least she isn't singing this about me, mate, although it does sound like me. What's so wrong with being a little vain anyway?" He turned towards Caroline. "Why is this song so familiar?"

"I made you watch a movie where something similar to what is happening right now, happened," Caroline explained. She had also watched the movie with Rebekah, which is where she's pretty sure the idea came from, but she didn't feel the need to share that part. "She has a pretty good voice."

Rebekah memorized the lyrics on the monitor and moved to the front of the stage to sing only a few feet from Stefan.

"_You had me several years ago when I was quite naive. Well you said that we made such a pretty pair and that you would never leave, but you gave away the things you loved and one of them was me_."

"Yikes," Caroline softly said. She noticed Stefan's darker expression.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it, Stefan?" She offered when Rebekah returned to the monitor.

He stood up, went to the bar, and stayed there, drowning his sorrows.

Rebekah came back to the table when the song was over and forlornly looked at her boyfriend.

"Ok, this got weird."

Caroline had a couple more Hurricanes as she waited for her turn. She was feeling nice and buzzed.

Klaus was ready to leave immediately, except he wanted to hear her song for him.

Caroline's name was called and she jumped on stage. Klaus clapped and he gave everyone around him glares until they joined in polite applause.

"I'd like to dedicate this song to someone who is here tonight. You know who you are."

Klaus was completely attentive, thrilled this was happening. She was so talented and this random group of people got to see it. They were the lucky few, in his opinion.

He had to admit he wasn't familiar with the music when it started. Rebekah wouldn't have been able to help him place it as she was daggered for the majority of the past century.

She began to sing, "_You need to give it up. Had about enough. It__'__s not hard to see. The boy is mine_."

This was not what he was expecting at all, especially when she started to sing in Cami's direction.

"_See I know you must be, just a bit jealous of me. Cause you__'__re blind if you can__'__t see, that his love is all in me_."

On the other hand, Caroline getting territorial over him was something he would always admit to enjoying. Heaven knows, he was pretty possessive himself.

With her stares directed at Cami, the crowd noticed and also began to look at her, clearly picking up she was the one trying to get with the singer's man. She lifted and lowered her hands, trying to show she had no idea what Caroline was singing about. She wanted to say she wasn't interested in Klaus, but that came with its own set of problems. You don't just insult Klaus Mikaelson, even when trying to calm some curious bar goers. She also wanted to point out she had a boyfriend, but she just kept her head down and got back to work.

Caroline even threw in her own modification at the end. Weren't all those TV judges saying to make songs your own?

"_I__'__m sorry that you, seem to be confused. He belongs to me. The boy is mine__…__Cami_."

Her spirited rendition got her a big response. She had the crowd on her side in the battle. Rebekah thought it was hilarious and it lifted her mood.

"That felt amazing. I've been looking forward to that all day," Caroline said as she sat down, reaching for another Hurricane.

"Well done, Caroline. Not quite the song I expected, I admit, but you sounded great." He grinned. "Am I your 'boy'?"

She laughed. If anyone was not a boy, it was him.

"I swear, she's always checking you out. You've seen the hair. I just wanted her to know I'm onto her." She flipped her hair over her shoulder. She knew it was irrational that she created an arch enemy out of absolutely nothing and it was completely one sided, but she couldn't help it.

Rebekah left them and joined Stefan at the bar. Seeing him smile at Caroline's craziness gave her the opening she was waiting for.

Caroline flipped through the song book, but kept her eye on the two. It looked like they made up, which made her really happy. She elbowed Klaus in the ribs so he could see. He wasn't as excited as she was by it. She did bring up another song slip while he got them another round though. Taking down Cami in song made her extra thirsty.

Stefan brought up another slip too. He also compelled the emcee to let him go next again. The poor woman kept getting compelled just for some vampires to sing karaoke.

He put down his drink at their table on his way to the stage and Rebekah returned to her seat at Caroline's side. They exchanged smiles.

"Rebekah, did you ask him to sing again? It was bad enough the first time," Klaus complained.

"Shut it, Nik. He told me he had the perfect song to express himself, but that could have been the scotch talking. Who knows?"

Rebekah was looking forward to what he was going to do.

It was more Bon Jovi of course. Rebekah thought it was very romantic when he sang, "I'll Be There for You."

He gave her a sweet smile when he finished.

"Just as terrible, if not worse than the first time, mate. Keep your day job, which is what exactly?" He slapped him on the back and pushed his drink in front of him.

Stefan was too busy looking at Rebekah to respond. Ignoring Klaus was an art he perfected. Caroline cheered, thinking it was so sweet.

It was time for her to sing again.

"I'd like to dedicate this song to the bane of my existence…"

"Another song for Cami? Seriously?" Klaus couldn't believe it.

"…and love of my life," she finished loudly, drowning out his outburst.

He crossed his arms and gave her his biggest smile.

She looked at him the entire time she sang, not needing to see the lyrics on the screen.

"_Don__'__t ask me what you know is true. Don__'__t have to tell you, I love your precious heart._"

This was more like it.

"_I, I was standing. You were there. Two worlds collided and they could never tear us apart_."

She moved around the stage, at ease in front of the crowd.

"_We could live for a thousand years_," she winked at him. "_But if I hurt you, I__'__d make wine from your tears_."

"_I told you that we could fly. Cause we all have wings, but some of us don__'__t know why._"

She got caught up in him, letting her voice carry the emotions she felt in her heart.

"_I, I was standing. You were there. Two worlds collided and they could never tear us apart._"

She was amazing, clearly the best performer of the night. She got a lively reaction from the small crowd, even without any prompting from Klaus, who gave it a standing ovation. When she got off stage, he gave her the hottest kiss right there in front of everyone. The elderly ladies were fanning themselves at their display.

When he released her, both breathing heavy, they looked to Stefan and Rebekah to scold them, which never had and never would stop them, but they now sat side by side and didn't even notice.

Caroline had always loved the song she picked. It was one her mother often played. She thought it was perfect to describe her relationship with Klaus.

"Do we have to stay now? Let's go home." He wiggled his brows at her. Yup, she was ready for that too.

They stopped back at the table to say goodnight to the other couple when they heard the next singer. They sat down to not obstruct the view.

"This is for my lovely girlfriend, Cami."

Caroline slowly turned around, not believing what was happening she heard the first notes. There was tone deaf and there was tone deaf, literally and figuratively. Enzo was both and possibly once again on the edge of death if she didn't stop Klaus.

He too had paused dead in his tracks when he heard the music. He slowly turned around to make sure he correctly identified his next victim. He knew the song well. It was his ringtone for Caroline. She said she hated the song, hearing it too much as she grew up, but he hadn't found a better replacement. Although, if he considered it, the song she just sang for him might be a good one.

Yes, the imbecile was Enzo.

"_Where it began, I can__'__t begin to know it, but then I know it__'__s growing strong._"

Enzo was singing "Sweet Caroline" to Cami. What an idiot.

"Is Caroline her middle name or something? It would explain so much," Caroline mused out loud.

She looked over to Klaus and she could see him plotting the most gruesome things. She was surprised he hadn't asked her for any wooden skewers or fence posts that might be laying around. That was his usual M.O. around Enzo.

She squeezed his thigh under the table, feeling his tense muscles.

"Make it non-lethal and quick," she agreed to his silent request.

If she hadn't been touching him she wouldn't have known he was there and back in a millisecond, although he returned relaxed and slouched in the chair, excited to have wreaked some havoc.

Enzo tried to keep singing when the equipment mysteriously died, but the crowd shouted him down for his terrible squawking.

"I wasn't even that bad," Stefan tried. Klaus opened and closed his mouth. Rippah wouldn't remember any of this anyway.

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Very fluffy and ridiculous, I know.

A few people had asked for one where Caroline sings to Klaus. This is a silly variation, probably not the romantic serenade they were expecting, although there is a little bit in there.

What did you guys think?

Does anyone want to share embarrassing karaoke stories in the reviews? :)


	23. Chapter 23

Taking Care of the Other One 23

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of these characters.

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St. Kitts was gorgeous. Warm water. Clean beaches. Small city area with restaurants and shops. Caroline was thrilled with this vacation with Klaus. Leaving the chill of Virginia and the warmer Louisiana weather couldn't compete with the sunshine in the Caribbean.

She splashed in the mild waves. Klaus left the water a short while earlier to lounge on the white sand. He escaped her clutches as she really liked dunking him. She could see him lazing away in the sun through her sunglasses and smiled.

Most of the people at the beach were staying at their resort, so there was a lot of space. She waded in just off the water line. Caroline smiled at one of the little girls playing in the sand. She got a cute grin in return. The girl was having trouble making a sandcastle and Caroline offered her help. The girl's mom nodded and smiled. Soon Caroline was surrounded by a swarm of little ones watching her work and trying to help her in their own awkward ways.

A few small castles were made which were immediately smashed by tiny feet followed by giggles when she gave them her stunned face. Due to their age, this game was repeated over and over. Everyone wanted a turn smashing the sand and she encouraged the shy ones to get involved. Watching the grins break out of their chubby cheeks when they realized it was a game and she wasn't hurt by their destruction was touching. She eventually left her little friends with a wave.

Making her way to Klaus, she shook the remaining drops from her hair onto him, making him flinch.

"They were so cute."

He had watched her work of course. He always understood the attraction people felt around her. Getting her attention and approval was something he craved. Her generous spirit never failed to impress him and watching her gain new fans was pure Caroline Forbes.

She sat down on the towel next to him, watching the rare cloud slide by.

"I don't do cute, Caroline," he smirked at her.

"Are you serious? You're the cutest of them all." She leaned in and smothered his face in little kisses.

"Alright, alright. I'm cute." She laughed as he intended. "Are you hungry?"

"Yup," she stood up and smoothed some of the sticking sand off her legs. He helped her out, although he would call it a privilege and not a chore to wipe her off.

They both showered and got dressed for dinner. They liked getting off the resort grounds at least a few times to see a little of the island itself. Caroline wore a floral print maxi dress with some sandals. She tucked one of the local huge pink blossoms she found outside of their suite into her hair. Klaus had some long khaki shorts and a white shirt.

Finding a place that sold local fare was not difficult. She earlier had a blood bag to get her through on that front and Klaus found one of the maintenance staff to drink from and compel. There were plenty of families at the restaurant, although it was starting to get late.

Their table was along the edge of the floor and over in the center was a young family with an adorable little boy. Caroline smiled at him and he smiled back. He was still pretty young and oh so cute. She waved and he continued to smile. Maybe two teeth at the most were part of his baby smile. She used her menu to play peek a boo for a few minutes and he was always so surprised when she popped up again.

"Caroline, do you know what you want to order?

No response. He looked up and noticed her game with the little boy.

"Caroline," he said a little louder. "Do you know what you'd like to eat?

"Sorry, I got distracted." She smiled sheepishly at him and focused on her menu. The little boy and his family left shortly after. It was getting late and the crowd turned more adult.

It was rowdy, lively, and Caroline loved it. The rum was flowing freely and the food was spicy. It was a delicious combination. Seeing Klaus' face in the dim light across from her with the ocean breeze coming through the open walls made it perfect.

As they walked back, with his arm wrapped around her shoulders, she sighed.

"What was that for?"

"It's nothing." She smiled up at him. "Today was pretty great. Do you want to try a catamaran ride tomorrow?"

"I'll make the arrangements tomorrow morning." They were trying to do something new each day. Snorkeling was earlier in the day, which they both enjoyed, although there weren't many colorful fish where they were. He was trying to talk her into parasailing, but she told him she was afraid that the line attaching them to the boat would snap . Why she should fear that when she was immortal he didn't know, but she was pretty firm in her denial.

Something was going on with her though. Her sighs usually carried a hidden message and hopefully she would share it with him. They made it to their villa's porch and sat down on the loveseat, looking out at the crashing waves.

"Care to tell me what's on your mind, sweetheart?"

"I'm having a great time, really I am." She leaned her head onto his shoulder and kept her fingers intertwined with his. "It was seeing all those kids today."

She paused to collect her thoughts.

"I'm usually fine with it, but I really thought I would become a mother. It was part of my ten year plan." That plan had some pretty big holes now so she replaced it.

"I'd make a great mom."

He squeezed her hand tighter.

"I know you would."

He hadn't really seen her interact with children before the trip. There were kids in New Orleans of course, but they weren't at the bars and restaurants they frequented. He never doubted she would be an excellent mother though. She oozed compassion. She charmed every kid she had seen that day. Tough, but fair, and full of love, she would be amazing.

"It was going to be a boy and a girl. Twins would have been even better. I even had their names picked out."

"You'll have to tell me one day."

Seeing those sweet faces and knowing they were never in her future brought up an issue she mostly dealt with, but it didn't mean she didn't still consider it or acknowledge that it hurt. She wasn't at the point where all of her peers were having kids. That was still a few years away.

The dream of having children died when she died. Other than not being physically impossible, she wouldn't add the burden of having vampire parents to an adopted child. It raised ethical questions she'd already considered. How could she watch a mortal child she raised pass away if she would live forever? She couldn't, but it wasn't about her or Klaus. It was about the child and their choice on living their life.

Raising a child wasn't in the cards for her and sometimes she was reminded how much that sucked. Today was one of those days where it was front and center. She momentarily forgot her transition and thought she'd be pregnant one day. As soon as the idea appeared, she remembered it could never happen and it stung.

"I don't know that I would have been able to have kids, but having that choice taken from me really stinks. I'll never hold a child with my eyes looking back at me with unconditional love. We haven't talked about it, but I'll never have a child with your dimples either. A perfect combination of us."

She couldn't help the tears that fell from her eyes. She quickly swiped them away, but Klaus noticed.

Giving him a watery smile, "You know that any child of ours would be unbelievably gorgeous."

"Too beautiful for this world if they looked like you." Her eyes were swimming with tears. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm sorry." He turned her into his chest and she let it out. She'd told him once before sometimes she just wanted him to listen when she got upset about something and she didn't automatically want him to fix the problem. He wasn't sure what he could do about this, but he intuited that this was one of those occasions where he was there to listen and support her, still a role he wasn't completely comfortable with. He rubbed her back.

"Did you ever want children?" she mumbled into his shirt after a while. Listening to him breathing and hearing the waves calmed her.

"Never. My childhood was terrible, Caroline. If I were human, I'm sure I would have had children. It's what one did. I would never want to become my father though and I've gotten pretty close to it without having children involved. You met Marcel. He's the closest thing I have to a child and we're on the opposite sides of a war. We are the war."

Thinking about that was even more depressing, so she tried to come up with a plan to have some involvement with children that eased the occasional ache.

"Do you think we could ever babysit someone's kid?"

She could feel the rumble of laughter in his chest.

"What's this 'we' business? You can babysit someone's child. I'll be busy that day. I'm sure I could find some rogue vampire to threaten instead."

She smacked him on the chest, but she couldn't say she was surprised.

Caroline wasn't even close friends with any humans except for Matt and Genevieve, although being a resurrected witch, who knows what that meant for having a child.

"Maybe I could do something with kids after I graduate."

She sat up while she considered this. She'd been thinking about what she'd do after she graduated for a few months, but hadn't hit on anything she knew she would enjoy.

"What about if I did a children's program at the theater I interned at? We could put on little shows, even short puppet shows, using stories from books they read. Preschoolers might be the perfect age. Remind me to write this down later."

"I think that's an excellent idea love. Perfect for the first lady of the city. Combining all your talents and contributing to the vibrant arts scene in New Orleans."

Ideas began to spin in her head. Maybe she could do something for underfunded preschool programs. It might only work if it was after school or it could be something better suited for the summer vacation. She didn't know yet, but she could do research and figure this out. This sounded right.

He took advantage of her sitting up, happy that something sad had turned into something that gave her new purpose. He laid down with his head in her lap. Her fingers automatically went to his curls, causing them to spring up in disarray. He closed his eyes in contentment.

"Klaus, there's something I want to talk to you about. Don't get mad."

Of course, he was on alert after that and she smiled as she moved her fingers to smooth out his wrinkled brow. He relaxed into her touch with that.

"I was thinking after I graduate, I would move to New Orleans."

"Obviously," he haughtily interjected.

"I want to get my own place though."

She waited for him to react and it was instantaneous. His eyes drilled into hers, trying to determine if she was serious. She was. Her fingers on his chest kept him from springing up.

"Let me finish. I'm in my early twenties and I want to be independent, making my own choices for me. I'll never have this chance again."

He did sit up that time.

"It's not like in a hundred years after living with you I'll move out to see what it's like. Well, you could do something that really pisses me off." She cocked her head at his scowl, trying to inject a little humor.

"We've been apart for two years, Caroline. I've been counting down when you'd be with me. Don't you want to be with me?"

She reached for his hand.

"I'll still be with you. You'll see me all the time, but I want to paint my own bedroom and have utilities in my name. I want to be in charge for myself. Going from my childhood home to college to your place would skip an important step. Getting my own place would do that."

"You could paint anything in my home. What if I moved in?"

"That defeats the purpose."

He gave her a stern look, ready to move to the negotiating part of this conversation.

"How long?"

"At least a year. I'll sign a year lease and I'll see you all the time. We'll talk about it after the year and move on from there."

He hadn't freaked out as she thought was a possibility, but she felt a lot better getting this off her chest. She was really having an emotional night, but most of it related to her wanting to do normal human things still. Being a mother was out. Getting a place of her own and filling it with things she wanted was still in. Klaus was so settled in his life. He was still learning things and made mistakes of course, but he'd experienced so much. She wanted some of that and some of it without him showing it to her, but her figuring it out.

"Would you want a roommate, like Rebekah?"

"Maybe if I planned on longer than a year, but no. Plus, we'll get some privacy. Wouldn't you like to not have Elijah walk in on us again or that time we heard Katherine?" She gave him a look. "You can sleep over a lot, but you can't move in. Not now."

"Is this about Elijah and Rebekah?"

"No. I love them too, but this is about me." She didn't mention that she would prefer that one day they had their own place. She really considered them family, an odd family, but a family nonetheless. She'd be willing to live next door, but in the same house forever without being able to really take over and make it her own wasn't exactly exciting.

"I thought you loved waking up in my bed."

He vaguely knew this wasn't her rejecting him, but it felt close to it and he had to get confirmation.

"Of course I do. You can sleep over in my bed now. A real bed, not a college creaky bed."

"We'll stay with each other seven nights a week."

"Five, minimum."

"Deal." They both knew it would probably end up being seven, but he loved negotiating and she had to keep up appearances for his sake. She kept her smile to herself.

Leaving the other issue of living with his family untouched for another year or decade, she knew what his big issue would be for her current proposal and was willing to give him some leeway on it.

"You can help me look, but I make the final decision on where I live. You can triple check the security and be sure that it's safe."

That did soothe him, knowing he could help her pick a safe place. Maybe he could steer her towards property he already owned. He could always buy the building afterwards.

"You can't buy the place where I am." She pointed at him. She knew the way he thought. "Unless it's my dream place and it's coincidental that you own it."

He smiled. He'd make sure that was the way. He'd get his buyer on the phone immediately. He knew what style she was attracted to.

"I'm certainly not crazy about this, but the idea of a love nest does have its appeal. If it makes you happy, I'll be happy," he sighed resignedly, sounding not happy at all.

She threw herself into his arms. It wasn't a love nest, but her home. She'd let him get used to the idea before she made that more clear.

"Thank you for not freaking out. I promised you forever and you did the same. This is just another step on our way," she spoke into his neck.

"Let's go celebrate my banner day. I'm going to get my own place and I came up with a job I'm really excited about." She leaned back so she could see his eyes. "Did I fail to mention your charitable organization would be funding my program? Did I fail to mention that you'll be setting up a charitable organization?"

He sighed and nodded, figuring that would be the way. He already had one in place. It was created as part of his revised carrot and stick approach to dealing with the humans in the city, but he'd be sure their budget would include something for her project. He was going to be making a lot of calls the next day.

"So congratulations are in order to me as well," he teased her. She grinned and led him to the bedroom where she showed him how to celebrate their productive day.

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Someone asked for one where Caroline is upset about not being able to have a baby. It's not the entire drabble, but it's in there. I didn't pick any names because I'll see other people's and I don't love them and it takes me out of it. I could picture Caroline going with something trendy.

A disturbing lack of karaoke stories in the last review. I have more than one. Get out and sing people.

I'm not sure how many more there will be of these, so if you have any ideas get them in.

What did you guys think?


	24. Chapter 24

Taking Care of the Other One 24

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of these characters.

Forgot to mention this in the last author's note. Lavanya- I think Enzo does like Cami, but he's a big troublemaker, so he saw a chance to drive Klaus insane and took it.

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Klaus was escorting Caroline to her first opera. She was excited and nervous. It seemed like a very adult thing to do and she hoped she didn't stand out as a college kid.

Her dress was a gold beaded strapless gown with a sweetheart neckline. She accompanied it with the ruby jewels she wore to Klaus' birthday party. Bright red shoes and a bright red lip brought it together. Her hair was up with some loose tendrils. She looked amazing if she did say so herself. Plus, Klaus said so himself.

She was excited to experience the singing and acting on stage. This was Elijah's favorite form of entertainment after all. Would she be able to overcome the language barrier to enjoy it? She hoped so. Finally, she was excited for the networking opportunity.

Klaus told her about this event and how many of the city's human leaders would be attending, including those who could give support to her children's theater program. He thought it would be worth it to come back to New Orleans and talk to them in a relaxed setting. She agreed.

With less than two months of college to go, she was beyond excited, she was looking forward to the sense of accomplishment. Considering how insane her high school years were, graduating on time was a big deal. Elena being there with her meant a lot. They'd been talking about Bonnie recently and how much they wished she were with them. Going to such an adult event in New Orleans was another step farther away from her childhood life in Mystic Falls and even Whitmore.

Klaus looked incredible in a black tux. She turned her head to admire him. He should wear bow ties more often She hadn't told him she wanted to just eat him up, but she did. Oh, she did. He stood out as the most handsome man by a mile. She made sure they had their picture taken since it had been a while since they both looked so glamorous.

He caught her eye as he passed her a flute of champagne.

"You're sparkling in the lights."

It was true. The chandeliers caught the different beads in her gown and she shimmered. She was the star of the crowd. Together, they looked like movie stars.

He gave the back of her hand a kiss.

The old fashioned gesture was so sweet. She gave him her biggest dazzling smile.

"I want to kiss you, but I don't want to ruin my makeup. Save that look for later," she teased him.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pointed out the people he thought she should meet. He introduced her to some and stood back as she worked. Within minutes she had business cards and plans for meeting.

"Thank you, Mayor. I'll be sure to send over my plans within the next week."

She shook his hand and excused herself. Making her way to Klaus who had given her the time and space to mingle, she winked at him. That went well.

"You meant he'll have it in his inbox by tomorrow afternoon at the latest, don't you?" He smirked at her.

"Maybe," she shrugged, hiding her smile behind her glass.

Of course, she had drawn up her plan and proposal already. All she had to do was hit Send. He'd have it by 8 am.

"Thanks for inviting me, Klaus."

"My pleasure, love. I want you to succeed and show this city how the first lady improves everything she touches."

The lights flickered letting them know it was time to take their seats. Having the hard part over, Caroline was ready to appreciate the performance. She wouldn't lie and say having Klaus to herself in the dark hadn't crossed her mind.

Catching her hand in his, he led her to the private Mikaelson box. There were four chairs in a row. She sat one seat in and Klaus sat nearest the door. She had an excellent view of the stage. Red velvet lined the walls and she felt as if she was in a different time.

She shook the opera glasses kept there in his face and he smiled. She was really excited to use them for some reason. It was the main topic of conversation on their ride over. Her vampire eyesight meant she didn't need them, but she thought it was people did at the opera.

The other topic they discussed was the opera itself. It was a performance of Turandot. Klaus told her the gist of the story. A princess wouldn't marry unless her suitor answered three riddles. She beheaded those who gave incorrect answers. She smirked when she heard that. No wonder why he was so familiar. Bloodshed was one of his favorite things.

She was mesmerized by the opera. The production was gorgeous, all the costumes, set changes, everything. The soprano was incredible as was the male lead. As a singer and actress, she appreciated all of it.

He kept up a running commentary for her. He, of course, loved being able to show off his knowledge. Watching her become enraptured made it worth it. Having her experience something new and have it remind him of his first time experiencing it was something he could never thank her enough for.

His hand was clasped between her own on her crossed legs. She would drop his hand when it was time to applaud and then recaptured it again. She was startled when the dim lights went up for intermission.

"Do you want to get more champagne or make out, Mr. Mikaelson?"

"I like the way you think, Ms. Forbes."

"I can fix my makeup if we're quick."

His eyes twinkled and his gaze moved to her full lips. Leaning in, their mouths were millimeters apart when they were rudely interrupted.

"Niklaus, I did not realize you would be attending this evening. Caroline, my apologies."

Elijah was in the doorway and looked quite startled.

"If you'd bothered to come home to see Caroline you would have noticed us dressing." Klaus glared at his brother.

"I will find another seat and leave you alone. Enjoy your evening," he stepped back.

"Elijah, nonsense." She gave Klaus a look. "Please come in and sit down. I haven't seen you in too long."

She stood up and pulled Klaus up with her so Elijah could pass in front.

He hesitated.

"I have a guest with me."

Caroline tried to look over both of the men's shoulders, but she couldn't see anyone.

"Did you finally ask out Genevieve's witch friend, Elise, who drools when you walk by?"

Klaus rolled his eyes. He knew who was out there and frankly thought Caroline did too, but she was either in denial or trying to cause a little trouble. The latter he supported.

Katherine Pierce stepped forward and glided right into the small space, sitting down next to Caroline. She looked phenomenal in all black, emphasizing her tiny waist.

"Seriously?"

"It was bound to happen at some point, all of us meeting like this. Klaus won't kill me right next to you. Maybe I should become your new best friend. I can't imagine the tepid version of me is any fun."

She looked up at the three faces, bored, and started swinging her foot in annoyance, not letting a trace of fear or discomfort show. Never let them see you sweat was her motto.

"Katerina, I'm only tolerating your presence momentarily. Make one wrong move and you'll be dead before Elijah can do anything."

"Brother," Elijah tried, like usual, to keep the peace.

Caroline crossed her arms, only sitting down when the lights flashed, signaling the end of the intermission.

"How are you even alive?"

"Magic. Witches like me," she shrugged. "Speaking of, Elijah, why don't you tell me about this witch girlfriend of yours?"

Elijah took his seat after some silent communication with his brother who also finally sat down. He took hold of Katherine's hand, thinking maybe he could slow her down if she ran or get in front of her if Klaus attacked.

He whispered to her as the show was starting again about the witch briefly and asked her to be reasonable about provoking Klaus. He reminded her that if they saw the girl he fell in love with things would be fine.

Elijah also knew it wasn't fair to Caroline or Klaus to appeal to Caroline on her behalf to get to Klaus. Caroline had her problems with Katherine and they could deal with those. Katherine and Elijah had to deal with Klaus through him and not use Caroline to manipulate him. Caroline was his partner, not his mother.

At the other end of the box, Caroline tried to figure out what Klaus was thinking. He had been aware of Katherine and Elijah's relationship for a while, but this was the first time they'd actually seen each other face to face. He didn't overreact, which was good. They were surrounded by innocents, but no one, except maybe his parents, enraged him more than Katherine. His silence and seemingly calm attitude suggested another plan was in play.

"There goes my plan to get handsy with you," she added sadly.

"I'm taking a raincheck on that, love. No interlopers next time."

She scooted to the edge of the seat closest to him. One hand rested on top of his on her leg. The other lightly scratched his nape. When her fingers stopped moving, he growled, like he always did. It was no hardship to keep going.

Luckily the performance was enough to distract them and she was curious about the end of the story. Klaus kept explaining what was happening and the music soared. She was able to forget the other couple completely.

As the final notes rang, she sprang up to applaud, thrilled with her first opera experience.

"See you around, best friend," Katherine added as they made their escape. Elijah kissed Caroline on the cheek as they left and nodded at Klaus.

"It really shouldn't have been a surprise, right? They've known each other for five hundred years. He has to know what he's getting into. I've mostly seen Katherine the back stabber."

She looked to make sure Klaus was listening. She was more concerned with Elijah getting hurt than anything.

"She's a survivor, that one," she sighed. "She can even be a little fun."

She hated to admit it, but there had been a few minutes when she had a good time with Katherine back at Whitmore. She wasn't ready to trade friendship bracelets though.

He gave her a skeptical look.

"Do Rebekah and Stefan know she's here? I meant to talk to Rebekah, but a one time sighting of her sneaking out is different than her being a part of Elijah's life in public. This is going to be complicated, especially for Stefan."

"Rebekah knows. I'm not sure about Rippah." He led her out of the box and eventually out of the theater.

"Care for a nightcap?"

"Please."

They stopped at a chic bar in the area which catered to the upscale theater crowd. It was very dimly lit with an extensive cocktail menu.

Once they were settled in a quiet booth with drinks, "What are you going to do about Katherine? I mean in a non-lethal way of course."

"Caroline," he started.

"No." She held up her hand. "If nothing else, Elijah has feelings for her. I know something about being with someone not everyone is a fan of."

She cocked her head to the side as she peered at him.

"In fact, I'm the Elijah in this scenario which makes you the Katherine."

She smiled at his disgusted face.

"Elijah has asked the same of me, to not kill her that is."

"And?" She prompted.

"At this point in time, my plan is not to kill her, but I will not be particularly pleasant. In fact, I will be particularly unpleasant. Her impertinence goes too far. The less I see of her the better."

"You love my impertinence."

"Only one woman can push my buttons and get away with it. That's right. Rebekah," he smirked.

She laughed.

He became serious.

"Katherine evaded me for 500 years. I am not willing to welcome her into my home with open arms. You see the kinder and gentler side of me, but that's not what the world sees and that's not my reputation. I'm to be respected. She does not do that. Until she falls in line, I'm not going to encourage my brother."

"As long as you don't confuse respect with sire bond-like adoration."

Picking up her hand, he played with her fingers.

"You asked that I not kill her, as did Elijah. I'm willing to agree to that today. I will not agree to anything else today," he looked to be sure she understood. "Let's not talk about doppelgängers. Let's talk about you."

Klaus was not a domesticated animal. He was sweet, kind, and romantic with her, but she also knew he had a thousand years of terror in his past. He wanted a peaceful city under his thumb and he'd been accomplishing it through artful negotiations and bouts of violence. She knew who he was and she knew when she had to stop pushing. Katherine being an issue between the brothers was not what she wished for, but this wasn't new. If nothing else, Caroline wanted to protect their sibling relationship and Elijah could deal with Katherine on his own.

Everyone deserved to fall in love without the interference of those who thought they knew them best. If she let other people sway her, she wouldn't be completely in love and utterly happy with the man facing her.

The rest of the evening was lighter. They recapped the opera, what she liked and what variations he had seen of it over the years. They talked about her final few weeks of school and her plans for her permanent move to New Orleans. He told her about what had been going on with his pursuit of the city and how much Rebekah was grating on him with her constant talk of Stefan. He did admit though he liked seeing her happy versus her railing at him for ruining her life.

"Let's go home, Nik."

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Katherine may pop up again, but this is a Klaus and Caroline series so I want to keep the focus on them. I'm not sure this is the place to get into a grudging acceptance between Klaus and Katherine. That would take a lot of time. What do all of the Katherine fans think?

So the next drabble will be Chapter 25. Wow. In honor, I think that will be Caroline's college graduation. I'm not sure what will happen yet and it will never compare to the Klaus and Caroline epic moment of her high school graduation, but I'll try to come up with something.

What did you guys think?


	25. Chapter 25

Taking Care of the Other One XXV

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of these characters.

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A private plane was chartered for the big day. Everyone was coming to see Caroline's college graduation. She'd had to arrange for extra tickets, but she used compulsion as necessary. This was huge and she wanted everyone she cared about to be there. She'd also made sure Elena's group, Alaric and Jeremy, was next to her own in the stands. It was only appropriate the two friends finished this together.

Elena was going to medical school. She decided she would follow in her father's footsteps. She teased that her vampire blood was going to revolutionize medicine, plus there was a blood bag supply at the ready. She was considering going into the research side to see if she could figure out the healing properties of vampire blood. First she was going to spend the summer with Jeremy and then move to Charlottesville for more school. Having Alaric back made leaving Jeremy behind a lot easier although he himself was almost finished with the graphic design two-year degree he was pursuing.

"Caroline, sit down. You're not in charge of this," Elena teased, watching Caroline pace back and forth.

"I should be."

Elena laughed, knowing it was probably true. No one could plan like Caroline who was currently looking at her watch and waiting for Klaus to get there.

"Caroline, you're making me dizzy," her mother pleaded with her.

"Sorry, Mom. I can't help it. Where are they?"

"You know they won't miss anything." She looked at her daughter who finally sat down next to her. "You also know it doesn't start for another three hours, right?"

Caroline rolled her eyes at their teasing, but she had a timeline in place and it was currently being messed with. This was the time for them to sit and relax before they had to leave to put their gowns on and line up. She couldn't 'sit and relax' without them being there.

She looked around the room, amazed at how empty and huge it looked. She'd already brought 99% of her stuff back to her mother's house before she made the move to New Orleans. Elena had done the same so it looked as empty as it did when they moved in.

She was done. All that was left was the ceremony and the best part, walking across the stage as her name was called to accept her diploma.

Right when she was about to start pacing again, Klaus raced through the door, knowing she'd be concerned with their ten minute late arrival. The rest of the group piled in after him, making the previously empty room feel crowded.

He hugged her close and give her a quick kiss, not releasing her.

"Hello, sweetheart. Blame your best friend," Klaus snitched.

While keeping a hold of Klaus, she looked over his shoulder.

"Stefan, what did you do?"

Stefan smiled. "He meant your other best friend."

"Rebekah, what did you do?"

"Not me, you twit." She smiled to soften the blow.

"Elijah!"

"I apologize deeply, Caroline. I had to select a different tie at the last moment. Klaus stole mine," he breezily replied.

She leaned back from Klaus to get a good look at him. He looked very sharp in his black suit and red tie.

"Good choice, Nik." She approved, stroking her hand down the tie.

Stefan and Rebekah rolled their eyes.

She stepped out of Klaus' arms to greet them properly. Stefan, Rebekah, even Genevieve, and then Elijah.

"Bring it in," she said to Elijah holding her arms out. She never got over making him feel uncomfortable with her affectionate ways. He gave her a brief hug before quickly stepping away.

Returning to Klaus' side, she watched as everyone mingled with Elena and her mom. Soon enough, Alaric and Jeremy joined the group creating a party atmosphere.

"Have I told you how proud I am of you today, sweetheart?" he whispered seriously, looking deep into her eyes. "I couldn't be more proud."

Tears welled up. Whenever he told her he was proud of her, her heart swelled.

She nodded, not able to speak. All of her emotions were all over the place already.

"Don't cry. This is a good day. You look gorgeous."

She gave him a big smile and agreed. She did look good. She bought one of those Herve Leger bandage dresses. It cost a lot, but it was worth it. She looked sensational. The bright blue color made her eyes pop even more. Her hair had grown out and it flowed in delicate waves over her shoulders.

"It's too bad an ugly gown will be covering it up. I know."

He grinned at her agreement that yes, she did look great.

Their driver brought up champagne and some blood bags to celebrate the happy occasion. Alaric seemed to take a special interest in Genevieve, Caroline noticed. They did have a few things in common. Both came back from the dead. Alaric was a history professor and Genevieve was born around the turn of the century. They had a lot to talk about.

"Want to go give the girls one last thrill?" she teased.

"Why not?" he agreed smugly.

She laughed and grabbed his hand to walk him through the dorm one last time. They took about a million pictures with all of the seniors who were there. Caroline smiled to herself when she realized she would probably be cropped out of a lot of them. There were even a couple of guys who wanted pictures, but Klaus made sure to keep Caroline on one side and the guy on his other side. Some things never changed.

Klaus was sweet and asked all of the right questions about their future plans and wished them well. He did get a peeved look on his face when he overheard one of the girls ask Caroline about the two other guys she had seen go into Caroline's room, describing Elijah and Stefan. She sadly reported both were taken, but agreed they were good guys.

"You're still their favorite," she whispered when she returned to him as they made their way back to her room.

"As I should be." He straightened his shoulders.

After an hour, Caroline and Elena left to join their classmates for the ceremony.

Klaus was pleased with the seats. They were in the first section behind the students. He parked himself on the aisle and made everyone awkwardly climb over him to get through. He was not moving from that spot. Sheriff Forbes was in the seat next to him, wanting to see her baby graduate college. Elijah was next in line, in charge of taking photographs and then the rest of the group filled out the row.

He wanted to look at his watch within the first twenty minutes. He saw the program and realized it would be a while before all the speeches were over. He tried to remind himself that this was one of those days he'd remember forever and accepted that time was moving slowly.

He heard a yawn come from young Jeremy Gilbert and he shot him a death glare that had Jeremy sitting up straight, looking much more alert.

"Can we leave after Elena?" Liz Forbes whispered to him.

He turned to her, surprised.

"You read my mind, but I don't think Caroline would let us. Somehow she'd know."

"You're right. It's just so many people."

He nodded in commiseration. He never thought he'd see the day where Liz was so at ease with him, but over two years of being with Caroline had eased a lot of her fears. He wouldn't put it past her to shoot him if he gave anyone a funny look though. She'd also made a few trips now down to New Orleans and was pleased with what she saw. Caroline teased that she would be moving in with them as she got older. Well, he thought she was teasing. She wasn't.

He reached over to hit Elijah on the leg when they started to give out diplomas, making sure he got the camera ready. By the time they started on the names starting with "E", Klaus literally picked Elijah up and moved him into the center aisle, against all the rules, to be in position to get a million pictures of Caroline. Stefan, Rebekah, and everyone else had their phones out also. Klaus didn't want to experience this through a screen though. Neither did Liz and he promised to send her a copy of every video and photo taken.

He saw Caroline at the edge of the stage. He was a mixture of nervous and incredibly proud. He had a feeling she felt the same way. She could get hundreds of degrees, but this was the first time with her friends and family all there. He admired her so much.

Every time she took another step as each name was called, the butterflies in his stomach grew more and more active.

"Does anyone else feel sick?" he called.

He got about five cameras zooming in on him for that. He rolled his eyes and pointed at the stage.

When she was one person away, he moved to let Liz stand on his other side. While Klaus may see Caroline graduate more times in the future, Liz may not. This was her child.

"Caroline Renee Forbes."

They all stood up as her name was called and she elegantly made her way to obtain her diploma and a handshake from the college president.

They yelled, clapped, and made as much noise as possible.

As she crossed the stage, reminding herself to take slow, even steps, and to not even think about falling on her face, she heard them out there making as much noise, if not more, than anyone else had gotten. She loved them so much.

Stepping off the stage, she returned to her seat with a sigh of relief. It was over. They had to finish the names, include Elena's, and pretty soon they'd be flinging their caps into the air. They were warned not to do it, but she was so doing it.

The applause for Elena was a little quieter than for herself, but it was still raucous. Caroline herself made sure to be loud for her friend.

Catching Elena's eye with a smile when it was time, they nodded and threw their caps into the air and cheered. It was all over.

Klaus was hosting a party back at the Mikaelson mansion in Mystic Falls. He'd made arrangements with a local caterer weeks ago so all he had to do was show up. Rebekah also was really helpful, especially in assisting Klaus with his graduation gift for Caroline.

"What, no band this time?" She leaned into his shoulder, reminding him of the time he threw a better party than she did in Tyler's backyard, complete with a band.

"There's a karaoke machine in the living room. You can sing if you feel the need, love." He looked down at her. "You know I love when you dedicate songs to me."

"It looks amazing. Thank you for this."

Slipping an arm around his waist, she surveyed the crowd in the backyard. The weather was perfect. It was a comfortable summer night. Paper lanterns were set up in the trees, giving it a dreamy setting. A small dance floor was set up in one corner with a DJ. There were tables covered in refreshments and it was absolutely packed. It was a combined party for Elena as well and they invited everyone they knew from both Whitmore and the kids they went to high school with. It was great to see everyone having a good time.

"Is that Alaric making out with Genevieve in the corner there?" she pointed out to him.

"I believe so."

They walked hand in hand to the side yard where it was quieter. They sat on a bench and she tucked her head into his shoulder. He'd taken off his jacket and tie, unbuttoning the top two buttons of his shirt.

"I can't believe it's been four years since I graduated high school. Today was a lot less stressful. No one tried to kill me," she said with a smile. "I'll never forget that day either. You came for me."

"I'll always come for you, Caroline."

She kept hold of his hand, but she backed up to see him, sitting up straight.

"By inviting me, you opened a tiny door to your heart. You probably didn't realize it at the time. I told you I would be your last love that day. Do you remember?"

She nodded, tears once again filling her eyes. He captured a few which escaped and rubbed them away.

"I thought about what you said every day afterwards, even before I saw you again," she admitted.

"I will be your last love." He kissed the hand holding his own. "I love you, Caroline."

He moved his lips to hers and kissed her, tasting the tears on his lips.

She mumbled, "I love you, too," against his lips.

"Hey, no crying."

She sniffled.

"Stop saying sweet things to me and I'll stop crying." She smiled to let him know she wasn't serious. She never wanted him to stop. "These are all happy tears. I'm giving my waterproof mascara a real test."

She stood up, kicked off her shoes, and started to walk to where everyone was. This was her party and she wanted to enjoy all of it.

"Let's see some of those dance moves, Mikaelson. You know what they say about good dancers?"

"What's that?"

"They get lucky," she called over her shoulder, laughing when he picked her up to race to the dance floor.

The rest of the party was a complete blast. Everyone had a great time. Caroline was pleasantly tipsy from all the champagne she had. She got to see Elijah's hilarious dance moves again, but he mostly kept it to slow dances with her mom, Rebekah, and Genevieve. Stefan had enough to drink to show Rebekah some of his own moves. He was especially good at the Electric Slide, surprising everyone. Seeing her mom slow dance with Klaus made her smile. Elena got into one of their makeshift dance circles and showed them how it was done!

As the crowd began to disperse, it was only the close friends who stuck around, with Elena, Jeremy, and Alaric eventually leaving. She gave Elena a tight hug. They had somewhat drifted from where they had been, but she was ok with it. That's what happened in life. She would always love Elena. They had their own paths though now. Caroline also spotted Alaric and Genevieve exchanging numbers.

"Time for gifts!" Caroline cheered and everyone smiled with her. They knew this was coming and were waiting for her to explode from excitement.

She made out really well. Liz gave her of her own mother's necklaces Caroline had always admired. Genevieve gave her a hair clip from the 1920s she knew Caroline would appreciate and she did. Rebekah and Stefan gave her a gift certificate to one of the trendy shops in New Orleans to help furnish her new apartment. Elijah gave her a first edition book of children's stories he suggested she use for her children's theater program.

Finally, it was down to Klaus. She wiggled her fingers at him, waiting for him to hand it over. Whatever it was. He grinned at her excited face. He pulled an envelope from his pants pocket.

She snatched it from him and ripped open the envelope.

"Plane tickets…to…MADRID!" she squeaked and threw her arms around his neck. "Yes!"

They laughed at her joyful enthusiasm.

"We're leaving tomorrow."

"What?" She wouldn't be ready to leave the next day.

"I did all of your packing for you, Caroline." Rebekah added, easing the biggest of her concerns.

"Thank you, Rebekah," Klaus added and Caroline gave her another hug.

"Thank you so much, guys. It means so much that you're all here for me. I love you all so much."

"Forbes, no more crying. More drinking," Stefan cheered.

"I didn't cry that time, Stefan…surprisingly, but I agree. One last drink. I need my beauty sleep though. I don't know if you guys heard, but I'm going to Europe tomorrow."

Two weeks later, Caroline and Klaus were enjoying their last day in Madrid. They would go to Mystic Falls in the morning to get her stuff and were then on to New Orleans.

They had spent their time exploring the city and falling in love with it. They ate amazing food and drank amazing wine. She would never look at tapas in the same way. He introduced her to the Rioja. They enjoyed siestas to get out of the sweltering heat and lingered over three hour dinners, talking about anything and everything. Caroline marveled at the wide streets and the gorgeous architecture. Klaus loved the authentic residents and the incredible artwork.

Caroline was incredibly beautiful in a white sundress. She looked like a cosmopolitan woman of the world as they walked for the last time to the Prado. Stopping her outside where the grass was incredibly green and the sky was incredibly blue, he just knew this was the time. This was the place.

"Hey, aren't we going in? Don't you want one last look?" she asked as he came to a stop.

Setting her right where he wanted her in an open spot, he reached into his pocket and got down on one knee, capturing one of her hands in his own.

"Klaus?" Her eyes widened at him and her other hand covered her mouth.

"Caroline Renee Forbes, I love you. I didn't know what love was until I met you. You brought the light to my darkness. You made my eternal life worth living. I told you a long time ago my heart was yours. It will always be yours. You're my last love. Please continue to make me the happiest man on earth."

He reached to open the ring box and she swiped the tears from her face.

"Caroline, will you marry me?"

She nodded. Her breathing was labored as she tried to calm down enough to speak.

"Yes, Klaus. Yes, I'll marry you. YES!"

She threw her arms around his neck and leaned down to kiss him, holding on when he stood up. She whispered "yes" over and over between kisses, not imaging a moment where she could ever be as blissfully happy as she was just then.

"I love you so much, Klaus. So much," she cried into his neck.

She didn't realize at first that they had attracted a crowd who was cheering, but who didn't love a public engagement, especially one as beautiful as that one, she thought. She smiled sheepishly as she wiped away her tears.

"Do you want to see your ring?" he teased, knowing she hadn't noticed it at all.

"Yes, please," she smugly replied and she gasped when she saw the diamond. It was classic and elegant. It was perfect. It wasn't too large where she would be worried about attracting the wrong kind of attention, but still extravagant. If it was from Klaus, she knew it was flawless.

She wiggled her left hand at him, wanting him to put the ring on. First he kissed the spot where it would go and then he slipped the ring on her finger. It fit exactly. She hugged him again and admired the ring over his shoulder.

"Oh, Klaus. It's perfect. This was perfect. Thank you."

Across the street was a park where they found a bench to sit on and linger in the moment.

"Do you want to know why I picked today…here?"

She nodded for him to continue.

"I was thinking about doing it when you graduated, but that was your day, about you. I didn't want to take any attention away from your accomplishment. I think being here, away from home, represents one of the first things I noticed we had in common, our need to be part of the world. I couldn't think of a better way to start the next step of our life together than while we fell in love with a new place and each other all over again."

She squeezed his hands tucked in her lap.

"I know you better than anyone, Caroline, and I know you'll want a huge wedding with everyone you've ever known invited. If you want to invite your second grade teacher, you'll have to do it sooner rather than later. In a few years, people will notice you'll never change from your beautiful self."

He did know her better than anyone. She did want a huge wedding and if she wanted the people she grew up with in Mystic Falls to be able to attend, she couldn't wait a hundred years. Having her mother there was the only guest who really mattered though of course.

"Two years," she agreed. "We'll get married in two years, in Mystic Falls."

She smiled and he grinned, dimples peeking out of his cheeks. She cupped his cheek in her hand, rubbing her thumb along his stubble.

"I'll tell them I take really good care of my skin," she teased. "I'll get two years of living in my own place and it will probably take that long for me to plan the perfect wedding."

She wasn't fooling him. She knew what kind of wedding she wanted.

"Don't start the planning today, sweetheart. Let's celebrate our engagement and when we get home you can get started."

"An engagement party," she mused aloud and then shook her head. "You're right. I'm going to enjoy today…and text Rebekah later to start getting an engagement party planned."

"Hey fiancé, want to go celebrate our engagement with an extra long siesta?"

"You read my mind, Mrs. Mikaelson to be."

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Extra long to celebrate reaching Chapter 25.

I cried writing this one too, just a little. I admit it. Happy tears though!

I'm not sure what Caroline's middle name is so I picked Candice's.

What did you guys think?


	26. Chapter 26

Taking Care of the Other One XXVI

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.

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"Caroline, are we done yet?" pleaded Stefan.

She surveyed her new apartment. Everything seemed to be in order. She'd take pity on her minions, also known as her friends.

"Yup, you can go home now."

Caroline smiled at each of her helpers. Stefan, Rebekah, and Elijah were her movers with Klaus of course. Elijah was more like a director for the rest of them, not getting dirty in his bespoke suit. She provided them with the traditional pizza and beers in lieu of payment.

"You owe me, Caroline," Rebekah reminded her.

"You love me, Rebekah," she smiled when she hugged her. It was true though. She did owe Rebekah a lot. Now that she was around though, she could pay her back.

"Thanks for your help, guys. Please come and visit."

Waving them out, she hoped they did visit. Not being in the hub, also known as the Mikaelson mansion, meant she may not see them as often as she'd like by just walking around. She'd have to make an effort to keep them coming around and she'd still be around the mansion, just not as often.

She'd been living out of boxes in Klaus' home, but she was all moved in now. The walls had been painted a week ago. She left Klaus in charge of that while she shopped with Rebekah. The furniture she picked out arrived a few days earlier and her new mattress and bed were delivered that day. Her bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen were completely unpacked and everything else could wait.

The apartment was on the second floor of an older building. It had tons of light that would greet her every morning. The kitchen was small, but she wasn't much of a cook so that was fine. It had two bedrooms, one of which she'd use for guests and extra closet space. It had parking and Klaus deemed the neighborhood safe. He also checked out her neighbors and they seemed to be young people like herself, but quiet. The paperwork for his ownership of the building would be complete by the end of the month.

The process for finding a place reminded her of Goldilocks. Klaus came with her of course, but she made certain the real estate agent knew she would be the one making the final decision.

"Too noisy."

"Too quiet."

"Too small."

"Too large."

"Too many stairs."

"Too plain."

"Perfect."

She fell in love when she saw it. Klaus saw the look in her eye and knew she'd made her decision. It suited her. It was bright and cheery. It also was a minute run from his home if he used his hybrid speed. Otherwise it took about twenty minutes to get there at a normal walking pace.

When the others left, exhausted, he picked her up and plopped her on the pale blue couch, laying down with his head in her lap.

She smiled and stroked his hair. His eyes closed in pleasure.

"Thanks for your help today."

He settled deeper into her lap, getting comfortable.

"I was hoping you would paint a picture for my bedroom. Will you?"

He looked up at her. "One I've already done or do you want something new?"

"Something new, please. I want something ethereal with the colors of my comforter in it." Her bedroom was full of white, gray, and hints of pastel colors including pale green and pink. It was extremely feminine and she couldn't wait to see Klaus in the middle of her bed surrounded by decorative pillows. The idea of it already made her smile. She really should take a picture.

"I'll start tomorrow."

She looked around her new living room. She felt great about the progress she was making with her life. She graduated college. She moved to New Orleans. She had a new apartment. She had a job that would be starting in just over a month when the school year started and she had an amazing fiancé.

He'd been quiet all day. She knew her moving out wasn't too easy on him, but she was going to show him that this would work and it would be good.

"You've been a little cranky today. What's the matter?"

"Cranky, really Caroline?"

She smirked.

"I believe your independent streak is rubbing off on Rebekah. I think she'll be moving in with Stefan shortly. She's afraid to say anything to me."

"You didn't tell her you knew and were ok with it?"

"No, because I'm not."

She smiled.

"You haven't been apart for a thousand years…except for when you kept her in a coffin," she added and he shot her a look. "It must be hard to imagine, but you still have Elijah to spend time with."

"He's gone quite a bit with that she-cat."

Caroline hadn't forgotten about Katherine, but she hadn't asked about her either.

"I know change is hard, but they're happy. They haven't gone very far either you know."

"That's the problem isn't it? Everyone is close, but not as close as they were. You're here, but not. Elijah is never around. Rebekah is off with Stefan."

He enjoyed her fingers scratching his scalp.

"I know. You're all growing up. I even heard some news. I heard you're getting married," she watched her ring flash as it passed through his curls.

"It's true," he agreed.

"I heard she's pretty great and she's deeply in love with you."

"Tell me more of what you've heard," he requested.

"She an excellent driver, no matter what anyone else says. She'll give you the shirt off your back if you need it. Really, I've only heard good things. She sounds amazing."

"She is." He looked up into her eyes. "What have you heard about me?"

"Klaus Mikaelson. I heard you're the king of New Orleans." She kept the eye-rolling to herself. "I heard you're a talented artist. That you love your family and fiancee very much. That you're stronger than anyone knows, in all ways. I heard that behind that angry face the world sometimes sees, there's a man under there who is kind to those he loves."

"You obviously have some pretty good sources."

"I do. Are you worried about the change in getting married? Committing to someone after a thousand years, Klaus?"

"I'm looking forward to it."

"All the ups and downs? Fights? Times I don't agree with you?"

He looked up at her seriously. "That's nothing. Nothing we haven't dealt with already. A bad day with you is better than the best day without you."

She leaned down to give him a kiss.

"Maybe I can think of something to cheer you up?" she posed. "Why don't you make sure to have dinner with Rebekah and Elijah once a week or every other week?"

He considered it. It wasn't a bad idea. It was hard for him to trust people and those he did trust he wanted to keep close to him. He wanted to be the most important person in their life, not their significant others. It was the total opposite of how he was with Caroline of course.

"Do you want to work on my self defense moves? I'm a little tired, but we could do that. Exercise is good."

"Not today."

"Hmmm. When's the last time you threatened someone?"

"Too long," he sighed dreamily.

"When's the last time you told someone you were a superior being?"

"The last time? About an hour ago," he grinned and she followed suit.

"I have an idea. Why don't you call Enzo and do both? You'll feel better."

He squinted up at her.

"Do you have his number?"

She tugged on his curls.

"No, but Stefan does. Even better, he won't know the number and will pick up to hear you."

"I do enjoy making fun of his accent."

Caroline tried not to smile, but she couldn't resist. He was already looking more chipper than he had been all day.

"I actually have something for you. Two things actually."

"Brownies?"

She laughed, having no idea where that came from. She'd only made them that one time.

"No. Not brownies. Did you smell some?" Now she wanted some brownies. "We'll go grocery shopping tomorrow and pick up ingredients. Brownies I can make. It's something else."

He got one of his mischievous smiles on his face, excited at the prospect of a surprise from her.

She lifted his head off her lap so she could go to her bedroom. She'd found something earlier she was a little embarrassed about.

She came out with a pile of Klaus' Henleys in her arms. They were the ones she'd stolen from him.

"How many are there?" he asked with a smile as she got closer.

"Twelve. Klaus, how did I end up with twelve of them? Did you notice you weren't going home with as many as you came with?"

That's the only thing she could figure out. She'd snag them when he visited her at school.

"I just bought more."

"Well they're clean. You can thank my mom for that. She helped me with all the laundry."

She eyed him and the clock. She was getting hungry for food. The pizza was hours ago.

"I'll trade you."

She picked a black one out of her pile and waited for him to roll his eyes and stand up. Her eyes greedily took in every inch of his chest. She knew it intimately, but that didn't mean she didn't still get excited when he did took his shirt off.

He tossed his green shirt to her and she threw the clean one at him. She took the shirt he had been wearing and put it onto her bed. She just loved wearing his clothes. She knew it was weird. They were really good for cleaning in and snuggling in. Plus his eyes lit up whenever he saw her wearing them.

"I did wonder where this one went, my little kleptomaniac," he teased as he closed in on her, not yet putting the clean shirt on. "You know, you could always leave them here for me."

She squinted her eyes at his smirk. "Don't think I won't be watching you as you try to nonchalantly move in here." She made air quotes. "'Accidentally' leaving things behind all the time."

"You know me too well, love." He gave her a peck on her exaggerated pout.

She left and came back with the other gift she had for him. "This is actually from Elena. She got one for me and she agreed to get another done for you."

He picked up and studied it. It was a framed photo from her graduation party. It was a black and white candid shot of them together Elena had taken. They were the only ones in focus. Her hand was on his arm as she leaned into him. She was laughing and he was smiling at her.

"I love it. Please thank Elena for me. I'll put it on my desk."

"Put your shirt on. I'm hungry," she whined. If he kept his shirt off, they wouldn't be leaving and she didn't have any food yet. "There's a Chinese place around the corner. Let's go and then we can christen my new place." She winked at him to show him what she meant.

As they ordered at the counter, she said, "It's on me," and dropped a black American Express down. It was a recent addition to her wallet. She wouldn't agree to be on Klaus' account for a long time, but since they were engaged and she had an apartment to furnish, all bets were off.

They split a variety of dishes and Caroline just knew they'd be seeing a lot more of her now that she lived there. It was a shady looking little building, but the food was delicious. They enjoyed some beers. He'd gotten better with them after their basketball game.

She always got a kick of doing really pedestrian average things with Klaus. Things like moving furniture and eating Chinese food. One day they'd be at the opera with the mayor. The next day they would be enjoying the Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid. The next they would be at a basketball game or running in the woods behind his country home.

"I love you so much," she smiled at him as they left the restaurant, happy and tired from their day and the beer.

"I love you too, sweetheart." 

"Hey, tomorrow can we go show off my beautiful ring to Cami? I can't wait until she sees it."

"I suppose it will have to happen at some point," he sighed.

It was her turn to have the mischievous smile. "I've always want to say this. Let's go to my place, handsome."

She squeaked when he threw her over his shoulder and raced up the stairs.

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Not much happened. Domestic Klaus and Caroline.

Can you imagine Klaus crank calling Enzo?

Let me know what you thought.

Also, I don't usually mention my other stories, but I just started another one this week. It's called Risky Business. (Yeah, the name makes me laugh too.) It's a canon-based action story. Check it out and let me know what you think.


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